Dr. Tim Farrell is a dynamic trumpet player, educator, and Yamaha Performing Artist. He serves as a Professor of Music at the University of Nebraska–Kearney, where he teaches trumpet, horn, improvisation, music education courses, directs the Jazz-Rock Ensemble, and is co-director of the Central Nebraska Jazz Festival.
Tim’s impact as an educator and performer spans decades. Before joining UNK, he taught jazz and brass at the University of South Dakota and led the jazz program at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. At FLC, he founded the Fort Lewis College Jazz Festival in 2000, a tradition that continues to bring world-class jazz performers and educators to Durango, CO. His ensembles have consistently earned top ratings at major jazz festivals, including Reno, Greeley, Eau Claire, and the University of Kansas.
He has shared the stage with renowned artists across genres and contributed to the development of trumpet pedagogy through his collaborations with Alfred Music. Most recently, Tim collaborated with Alfred Music on Sound Artistry: An Intermediate Method for Trumpet (2023), which provides players with a fresh and comprehensive approach to trumpet technique. He also appears on the Sound Innovations, Trumpet Book 1 DVD, a widely used resource for both educators and students.
Tim earned his Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Oregon, a Master of Music from Northwestern University, and a Bachelor of Musical Arts from Pacific Lutheran University.