Todd Tarantino

Todd Tarantino (b. 1974) is a New York City based composer. His personal and richly varied musical environments are characterized by bold surfaces, quarter-tone inflected harmonies and athletic lyricism. Much of his recent work draws on experiences living in the developing world, translating the sounds and energy of urban environments into his own unique musical language. Currently, he is developing Appeal for Identification, an evening-length series of compositions that together tell the story of Delhi's migrants through the sounds of the locations in which their corpses were found.

Tarantino's music has been presented at concerts and festivals throughout America, Europe, Asia and Africa by musicians such as the New York New Music Ensemble, Ensemble Moderne Akadamie, Manhattan Sinfonietta, Second Instrumental Unit, and the OCNM Ensemble as well as soloists such as oboist Jacqueline Leclair, violinists David Fulmer, Miranda Cuckson and Hana Kotkova, clarinetist Carol McGonnel, saxophonists Eliot Gattegno and David Wegehaupt, pianists Barbara Lieurance and Kathleen Tagg, and flautist Emi Ferguson, among othersCurrently, Todd is the executive director of MATA and an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia University. From 2007-2008 he taught music theory at Manhattan School of Music. He holds a doctorate in composition from Columbia University. His principal composition teachers include John Luther Adams, Fred Lerdahl, Stephen Siegel and Jonathan Kramer. He lives in Harlem with his wife, Carla, and daughters, Dessa and Margo.