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Tom Farrell

Resident Composer / Composition Teacher / Accompanist

Tom Farrell, pianist, percussionist, composer, and founding musical director of the NYSSSA School of Dance, has distinguished himself for more than three decades as a versatile artist and dedicated teacher. He has taught, composed, and accompanied classes at such institutions as Adelphi University, Brown University (under the direction of NYSSSA co-artistic director Julie Adams Strandberg), Barnard College, and Bennington College. He has accompanied classes at the Paul Taylor School and The Ailey School. Farrell is founding musical director for the School of Dance and has accompanied classes for master teachers representing a wide range of movement styles and techniques, including Carolyn Adams, Mary Anthony, Ruth Andrien, Robert Battle, Carla Maxwell, Donald McKayle, Daniel Nagrin, Walter Nicks, David Parsons, and Ethel Winter. Farrell has composed works for Terry Creach, June Finch, Betty Jones, Mickey McLaughlin, Deb Meunier, Fredrick Earl Mosley, Julie Adams Strandberg, and Martha Whitman.