BIOGRAPHY

Born in 1993, cellist Cicely Parnas is one of the finest young artists performing today, a unique presence on the concert stage recognized for her highly individualized sound, exquisite tone, and spontaneous creativity fueled by an affable fearlessness. Cicely began cello studies at age four, and made her orchestral debut at nine. Since then Cicely has performed over thirty times as guest soloist with orchestra, including the New York String Orchestra conducted by master musician and conductor, Jaime Laredo, and David Alan Miller’s Albany Symphony. Three of Cicely’s concerto performances have been presented on WQXR’s "McGraw Hill Young Artist Showcase" in New York, and she has claimed six 1st prizes in national and regional soloist competitions.

This young titan of the cello proves herself not only on the solo stage but also in the chamber setting. An early start playing duets with her sister, violinist Madalyn Parnas, soon became an intense collaboration. Recent Berkshire reviews compliment their "perfectly attuned musical ideas" and an ability to create music that becomes a "mesmerizing occasion as they trade virtuosic solos, as in a high stakes-tennis game between two pros" with "no one-upmanship, simply two mutually supportive performers" where "everything is for musical value." duo parnas has earned 1st prize in an international chamber music competition at Carnegie Hall, released two "must-have" CDs featuring 20th century duo literature, and inspired award-winning composers to write for them. Premiering a duo work at Symphony Space, the New York Times reported, "The duo parnas gave the piece an electrifying reading, couching it in a lush tone and executing its complex interplay with pinpoint precision."

This exceptional groundwork in chamber music laid the foundation for meetings with the great artist Peter Serkin, beginning in Summer 2007. Mr. Serkin, impressed with the duo’s "rich, thoughtful approach..." and the "purity of their playing", began performing numerous concerts with them as the Parnas/Serkin Trio in early 2008. This very successful collaboration of a "master artist and new musical leaders learning and exploring great chamber music together" reveals the living legacy of Marlboro.

Cicely, still an undergraduate, is also a full-tuition scholarship recipient in the prestigious Artist Diploma Program at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music studying with renowned cellist Sharon Robinson. She is the granddaughter of world-class cellist and winner of the Tchaikovsky Competition Leslie Parnas, and a former student of cellist Peter Wiley. Miss Parnas performs on a 1790 William Forster violoncello.

Last updated: 5/15/2010

REVIEWS

"The duo parnas [...] gave the piece an electrifying reading, couching it in a lush tone and executing its complex interplay with pinpoint precision."

-- Allan Kozinn, The New York Times

"...an astonishing mix of pungency and finesse."

-- Berkshire Record

"...possessed of prodigious technique and an Olympic gymnast's poise."

-- Daily Freeman

"It was truly a tour-de-force performance."

-- Times Herald Record

"This is a technically demanding piece that combines idiomatic lyricism and warmth in its slow passages and fiery passion in its perpetual-motion finale. Miss Parnas accomplished all of these feats with a sensitivity and technique far surpassing her young years."

-- Arizona Daily Sun

"...she played with an impressive drama and phrasing that sounded more mature than her years. Yet she backed these up with a palpable passion and flair for the romantic line."

-- Daily Gazette

"...the display of artistry on the part of the soloists was breath-taking."

-- Cooperstown Freeman's Journal

"...the young players have adventuresome tastes and a meaty sound. ...there's a haunting and sustained intensity to the Ravel Sonata and a classical elegance to the Handel Passacaglia. But the heart of the record is in the opening duos by Zoltan Kodaly and Alexander Tcherepnin. Both works have a gritty intensity that's leavened by the insightful and passionate performances."

-- Joseph Dalton, Times Union