Fay Foster

In Chicago she studied piano under William Hall Sherwood, voice under Mme Dove-Boitte, and theory with Frederick Grant Gleason.

Following her Chicago studies, at the age of 19, she was appointed director of the Grand Prairie Seminary's Conservatory of Music in Onarga, Illinois.

[3] In 1899 she travelled to Europe for twelve years, studying further under Heinrich Schwartz, Moritz Rosenthal, and Sofie Menter in Munich, and under Theodore Wiehmeyer, Alfred Reisenauer, and Salomon Jadassohn at the Leipzig Conservatory.

Her waltz "The Prairie Flower" (originally titled "Sit Illi Terra Levis"), judged by a panel headed by Johann Strauss III, won second prize out of 4,222 submissions.

[7] With two of her AIAM colleagues Josef Berge and Gene Gravelle, she founded the Foster Trio vocal ensemble.

[13] George Harris Jr. and Margaret Romaine sang it on their tour in support of Liberty Loans, and Pathé contributed sales of its recording by Paul Althouse to the war bond effort.