about
Niall Tarō Ferguson is a Los Angeles–born cellist, composer, and orchestrator whose work spans both concert music and the commercial music industry. As a freelance musician, he records and orchestrates for major film and television soundtracks, and performs widely throughout Los Angeles’s contemporary music scene with organizations such as Wild Up, Monday Evening Concerts, Jacaranda, Laós Chamber Music, and the Hear Now Festival. He has performed or recorded with artists including David Foster, Andrea Bocelli, Miley Cyrus, Olivia Rodrigo, Danny Elfman, Jennifer Hudson, Seth MacFarlane, Shawn Mendes, Jennifer Lopez, and many others.
As an orchestrator, Niall’s credits include Bruised, Cat Burglar, American Factory (2020 Oscar Winner for Best Documentary Feature), Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw, Ni No Kuni, and Kruimeltje. He has contributed orchestration to two of Joe Hisaishi’s concert tours (Kiki’s Delivery Service in 2019 and Porco Rosso in 2022), and his arranging work was featured in Disney’s 70th Anniversary Celebration in 2025. His string arrangements have appeared on numerous commercial releases, including Lukas Graham’s 3 (The Purple Album), which debuted at #1 in Denmark, and in 2024 he served as head orchestrator for Miley Cyrus’ album Something Beautiful.
Niall’s concert works have been performed throughout California and internationally in venues such as Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Palau de la Música Catalana, and the Aratani Theatre at JACCC. He is also active as both an orchestral and chamber musician, having performed throughout the U.S., Asia, and Europe. He is a member of the UCLA-based VEM String Quartet, the core ensemble of the UCLA Armenian Music Ensemble, and has performed with the group at MIT, the Harrison House in Joshua Tree, the Hammer Museum, and in numerous cities throughout Armenia. As of 2025, Niall is also a member of the Vitamin String Quartet.
Niall is a member of the Asia / America New Music Institute (AANMI), promoting cultural exchange through contemporary music, participating in lectures and performances in China (Beijing Central Conservatory), Thailand (Mahidol University), Japan, Texas, and California.
In 2025, Niall founded Taro Farm, a boutique company specializing in performance, recording, and music preparation services.
Niall received his B.A. from the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, where he studied cello with Antonio Lysy and composition with Ian Krouse and Bruce Broughton. He is of Okinawan descent on his mother’s side, and Scottish / English / Swiss descent on his father’s, and goes by both his Gaelic and Japanese names — Niall and Tarō.