
Cicely Parnas
cello prodigy
One of the most promising musicians alive today, Cicely Parnas is most known for her highly distinctive sound + stage presence. As a cellist, she began her studies at the age of 4 and made her concert debut at 11. In her short career, she has already performed at Carnegie Hall + the Kennedy Center, and internationally in Tokyo, Beijing + London.
Cicely + her sister Madalyn perform as the aptly named duo parnas. With a unique style and intense dedication, Cicely has quickly risen to prominence ~ her career trajectory should carry her to many more resounding successes.
known for
unique sound + fearless creativity | known for taking risks, Cicely makes every performance distinctly her own
duo parnas | collaboration of Parnas sisters {Cicely | cello + Madalyn | violin}
2011 | named an inaugural Young Artist in Residence on public radio's Performance Today
2011 | received 1st prize in the 2011 Cello Concerto Competition at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music
2012 | made her Carnegie Hall debut with the New York String Orchestra under the direction of Jaime Laredo ~ with the New York Times praising her "velvety sound"
from | to
4-year-old beginner | one of the most notable + closely followed young musicians of today
born on
1993
born in
Stephentown, New York
birth name
Cicely Parnas
citizen of
The United States of America
granddaughter of
Leslie Parnas
sister of
Madalyn Parnas
~ concert violinist and doctoral student at Indiana University ~
grew up in | lives in
Stephentown, New York | New York City, New York
educated at | studied with
Indiana University Jacobs School of Music + Cleveland Institute of Music | Peter Serkin + Sharon Robinson
pets
several dogs, cats + horses
loved studying
equestrianism
image credits
Christian Steiner | Duo Parnas
collapse bio bits"[T]here is no definite measuring stick with which one can judge art."
Cicely's Cello Blog | january 2010
"[Teaching] is such a rich experience, watching someone else begin on the same path that I am following, and being there to help and be a part of it."
Cicely's Cello Blog | may 2010
"Playing new music is such a joy for me because I feel that I am participating in and making a contribution to the future of classical music."
Cicely's Cello Blog | march 2011
"Learning to practice well is a long, sometimes painful process fraught with frustrating trials and errors, but if one’s approach is positive, attentive, and objective, then this process can be accelerated."
Cicely's Cello Blog | april 2011
"Mistakes are inevitable, but making them enough times will negate your practicing entirely."
Cicely's Cello Blog | april 2011
"Music was a part of my life, essentially from the beginning. … It was a gradual acceleration to where I am now."
Performance Today | december 2011
"There's so much beauty in every note and there's so much to be discovered."
Performance Today | december 2011
for further reading about Cicely Parnas:
curated with care by Angela Willard {september 2014}
Cicely + Madalyn
Cicely + her sister, Madalyn, have been playing as duo parnas since 1997 ~ always to enthusiastic reception. The audience at Tannery Pond in 2009 gave the sisters a standing ovation and four curtain calls!
Christian Steiner | http://www.parnasmusic.com/Gallery.htm
Cicely Parnas | Young Concert Artists: Artist Profile
Cicely plays Brahms cello sonata No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38.
Young Concert Artisits | http://www.yca.org/roster/cicely-parnas/media/
Cicely with her cello
Cicely's cello of choice is a 1712 Giovanni Grancino ~ although she is known for her adaptability. In 2013, she was warming up on a cello that wasn't her own. Minutes before her performance with the Rochester Chamber Orchestra, the cello's tailpiece {the piece that connects the strings to the bottom of the body} broke + she had to get to know yet another instrument. Despite the incident, she garnered rave reviews of Haydn's Cello Concerto in C ~ a performance that "performance brimmed with musical sensitivity."
Michael Polito | http://www.parnasmusic.com/Bios_files/OriginalCsitting7148.jpg
Cicely with the Young Concert Artists
As the granddaughter of the renowned cellist, Leslie Parnas, Cicely began playing the cello at the age of 4.
Christian Steiner