Raised in Texas, with family roots in country-swing and gospel, Toby Twining has traveled musically from playing for rock and jazz bands to experimental music with a range of vocal techniques from Renaissance polyphony to western overtone singing. He moved to New York in 1987, initially writing for modern dance choreographers who wanted the sounds of a new choral music. His progressive a cappella ensemble’s recordings include Shaman (Sony Classics 1994), Chrysalid Requiem and Eurydice (Cantaloupe Music 2002, 2011), and two skits on A Prairie Home Companion’s 20th Anniversary Album (Highbridge 1995). His music has been recorded and performed internationally by Margaret Leng Tan, Matt Haimovitz, Nada Kolunzija, Johnny Reinhart, Malina Rauschenfels, the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, Young Peoples Chorus of NYC, Cornell University Glee Club, Juice, C4, and Roomful of Teeth. Twining has composed for dance, radio, film and television (Gus Solomons, The Little Match Girl, Iceberg Under the Gulf Stream, Nip/Tuck) and his collaborative installation with painter/poet Zsuzsanna Ardó, Dumas’ Riposte, was on exhibit in 2016 at the European Parliament. He is the recipient of Guggenheim and Pew fellowships (2011, 2004), and a Foundation for Contemporary Arts 2013 Grants to Artists award.

In addition to his professional composer/performer activities, Toby has been involved with dance education in New York City for more than three decades, especially as a modern dance accompanist with the Limón Company and Institute, the Juilliard School, Marymount Manhattan, New York University and The White Mountain Dance Festival. He has enjoyed working with master teachers Melanie Bales, Ruth Currier, Viola Farber, Laura Glenn, Betty Jones, Phyllis Lamhut, Jim Lepore, Rebecca Nettl-fiol,  Nat Orr (jazz), Jeanne Ruddy, Jeff Slayton, Clay Taliaferro and Ashley Tuttle (ballet).