Irio O'Farrill
2 Courses • 6 StudentsBiography
Mr. O’Farrill was a distinguished bassist, composer, and educator whose career spanned Broadway, jazz, funk, and Latin music. A veteran of New York City’s Latin jazz scene, he performed with notable artists and ensembles including Juan Carlos Formell, Bobby Sanabria and Ascención, Ray Mantilla, Daniel Ponce, the Bronx Horns, the Latin Jazz Coalition, and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. His versatility also led him to work with pop and R&B greats such as Gloria Gaynor and participate in high-energy funk and big band projects like Bill Warfield’s Hell’s Kitchen Funk Orchestra and the Real Deal Big Band.
His performance credits extended well beyond the Latin jazz world. Mr. O’Farrill toured with Larry Gatlin, BeBe Winans, Sarah Brightman, and Laurie Beechman, and was an in-demand pit musician on Broadway, serving both as a chairholder and substitute across numerous productions. His Broadway credits include Tony and Grammy Award-winning shows such as In The Heights and Once On This Island, as well as The Rocky Horror Show, Brooklyn the Musical, and The Wedding Singer. Behind the scenes, he also worked as a music contractor and coordinator for several Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including Kingdom.
Mr. O’Farrill’s creative pursuits also included jazz trio work with drumming legends Chester Thompson and Gregg Bissonette, showcasing his deep-rooted musicianship and adaptability across styles. As an educator, he taught at esteemed institutions such as The Collective School of Music, The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, and Stevens Institute of Technology, and served as a teaching artist for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC).
He was also an accomplished author and contributor to bass pedagogy. His publications include the co-authored “Afro-Caribbean & Brazilian Rhythms for the Bass,” the Musicians Institute’s “Bass Technique” Digital Book Series (Volumes 1–4), and contributions to “Funkifying the Clave” by Lincoln Goines and Robbie Ameen. Through his performance, mentorship, and written work, Mr. O’Farrill left an enduring legacy in the worlds of jazz, Broadway, and music education.
