Richard Farrell

Richard Farrell (30 December 1926 – 27 May 1958) was a New Zealand classical pianist who achieved almost legendary status, but whose flourishing career was terminated in a road accident at the age of 31. He has been described as New Zealand's "greatest classical pianist".

Thomas Richard Farrell was born in Auckland in 1926 to Thomas and Ella Farrell, and spent most of his young years in Wellington. His parents were not musicians, but his uncle, John Farrell, was an actor and singer with J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd. He attended St Mary's Convent School and St. Patrick's College, both in Wellington.

He made his first radio broadcast when aged only four. From age six he had piano lessons with Florence Fitzgerald, and from age 9 he studied with Gordon Short. At age seven Farrell played his own composition, a lament on the death of Archbishop Francis Redwood, in a public concert with the Wellington Symphony Orchestra. At the age of 12, he was noted to possess absolute pitch.

At the age of 12 he moved to Sydney, Australia with his mother Ella and two brothers, Peter and Paul, going on to study under Alexander Sverjensky at the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music for five years. During this time, he attracted the notice and commendations from Arthur Rubinstein and Eileen Joyce. While the tenor Richard Tauber was on an Australian tour, he heard Farrell and offered him a European tour, which Farrell was unable to accept due to the war that was then in progress.

Farrell returned to New Zealand in 1939 and 1942, giving recitals and performances, but spent most of his time in Australia, where he received much support from the Australian Broadcasting Commission. In 1944 he won the NSW state final of the inaugural competition that later evolved into the ABC Symphony Australia Young Performers Awards.

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