Adam O'Farrill

Brooklyn native and multi-racial composer and trumpeter, Adam O’Farrill, has "...established himself as one of the most important musicians of the 21st Century" (NPR Fresh Air) and “a blazing young trumpet talent” (The New York Times). Of course, none one of this comes as any surprise, considering the rich musical lineage into which he was born: Adam’s grandfather was the boundary-pushing Cuban composer and arranger, Chico O’Farrill; his father is the composer, pianist, and activist, Arturo O’Farrill; his mother, Alison Deane, is a classical pianist and educator; his brother and frequent collaborator, Zack O’Farrill, is a drummer and musicologist. Adam himself has been featured with the likes of Hiromi, Mary Halvorson, Vijay Iyer, Tyshawn Sorey, Anna Webber, Mulatu Astatke, Son Lux, Samora Pinderhughes, Rudresh Mahanthappa, and Photay, and has garnered widespread acclaim as a leader in his own right.


Adam’s most recent album, ELEPHANT, was released in 2026, in which he fronted a quartet featuring Yvonne Rogers, Walter Stinson, and Russell Holzman, playing music containing influences that are electronic, cinematic, and avant-garde. The album was critically acclaimed by The Wire, Popmatters, and The Observer, who called the album, "...a propulsive journey through the sharp edges of modern improvisation." The album placed #3 on the 2026 Francis Davis Mid-Year Jazz Critics Poll. Prior to that, Adam released four albums documenting his longtime quartet Stranger Days, including 2021’s Visions of Your Other, was named one of 2021’s best jazz albums by The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and Popmatters, and was awarded the Preis Der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik in January 2022. In 2025, O’Farrill released For These Streets, a suite inspired by the culture, literature, and music of the 1930’s, performed by an octet composed of the world’s foremost improvisors, including Mary Halvorson, Patricia Brennan, Kevin Sun, David Leon, Kalun Leung, Tyrone Allen, and Tomas Fujiwara. The Wall Street Journal says, “Mr. O’Farrill here makes his boldest statement as a composer…he extends a storied lineage…[and] has his own distinct vision.”


In 2026, Adam won the Downbeat Critics Poll in three categories: Rising Star Artist, Rising Star Trumpet, and Rising Star Arranger. He has also received awards and commissions from The Shifting Foundation, The Jazz Gallery, Pierre Boulez Saal, South Arts, Baryshnikov Arts, The Hermitage Artist Retreat, Roulette, and YoungArts.