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Born in South Australia in 1941, Ian Farr trained at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He began work as a classical musician in 1961 with 4 years as a double bass player in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. This was followed by 5 years of music programming in the ABC's Federal Music Department. During this time he was active as a pianist, particularly in the area of contemporary classical music, giving a large number of first performances and and helping to form the group Project New Music, as well as composing songs and chamber music.

Since 1972 he worked mostly in the areas of improvised music and theatrical involvement, composing and performing music for radio drama, dance, theatre, mime, etc. Among the highlights of this work were participation in the 1972 South Pacific Arts Festival in Fiji and the 1973 Aquarius Festival at Nimbin.

He worked actively with singers and in cabaret, appearing frequently in Sydney and elsewhere with Margaret Roadknight, Jeannie Lewis and John Ewbank. In 1982 he came to the Adelaide Festival to perform at the Fringe Club with Mary Haire, and lived and worked there from then onwards, becoming a founding member of Etcetera and the Mambologists, and composing and performing for the State Theatre Company of South Australia.

Ian Farr passed away on 26 August 2006.