Meet Nathan Farrington (Nevermore Original Music Arrangements)

Nathan Farrington joins Ballet Fantastique’s creative team as original arranger for Ballet Fantastique’s world premiere of Nevermore: Stories of Edgar Allan Poe (performances Oct. 25-27, 2019 at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts).

Tell us about your background.

I'm primarily a performer. I've played in the Philadelphia Orchestra's, the LA Philharmonic's, the San Fransisco Symphony's, and the Chicago Symphony's bass sections. I also love to sing, and have enjoyed using the combination of bass playing and singing to collaborate with musicians across many genres. I've arranged works for the LA Philharmonic and Weezer, Dreamworks Entertainment, the Britt Music Festival Orchestra, and the Musicians from Garden Music, and run a music production company called Hazard Audio in Los Angeles.

(PS: Nate’s official bio: Nathan Farrington is a bassist, singer, and composer living in Los Angeles. He regularly appears in the bass sections of many of America's top orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the East Coast Chamber Orchestra, and the Seattle Symphony. Nathan was recently named the Principal Bass of the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra under James Conlon and Placido Domingo, and pursues chamber music and solo opportunities avidly. Nathan has appeared at the Marlboro Music Festival, the Aspen Music Festival, the Olympic Music Festival, ChemberFest Cleveland, and at the Da Camera Society. In addition to his performance interests, Nathan is deeply interested in Cinema. His LA based audio company, Hazard Audio, connects top classical minds, with the artistic minds in movie and tv production. His life in each of these fields has helped him engage in new and interesting projects across the US.

Why are you excited to have been involved in this performance project, and how is it different from what you've done in the past?

Combining the art forms is powerful. Stacking great music, talented musicians, new arrangements, marvelous dancers, and the sounds/visuals that come along with a ballet performance, enhances all of the individual parts. The results transcend a normal orchestral performance, and an audience with little or no 'music' or 'dance' experience can come enjoy an accessible and inspiring evening of 'high art'.

What intrigued you about connecting with Ballet Fantastique?
Ballet Fantastique’s creative team is uniquely interested in serving their audiences. The thought and consideration they exhibit during the planning process for a new work is inspiring, and the opportunity be a part of their artistic efforts is a real pleasure. I'm so excited to see Ballet Fantastique's evening of dark entertainment come together and am pleased to have been able to contribute.