duo parnas

Violinist Madalyn Parnas and cellist Cicely Parnas are gifted young soloists and chamber musicians in their own right. Together, they have collaborated as duo parnas for fifteen years, winning first prize in international chamber music competition at Carnegie Hall, releasing two internationally acclaimed CDs, and earning rave reviews in The New York Times. A Symphony Space performance earned “The duo parnas gave … an electrifying reading, couching it in a lush tone and executing its complex interplay with pinpoint precision." At Le Poisson Rouge, the critic proclaimed “… the duo parnas gave a stunning account of Martinu’s lively, sometimes prickly Duo for Violin and Cello. The intricate give-and-take between the cello and violin lines was perfectly balanced and suffused with … electricity and drama ...”

During the 2012-2013 concert season, duo parnas will debut as guest soloists with the French Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, performing seven concerts while on tour. They will also debut with the El Paso Symphony Orchestra for two appearances during the El Paso Pro-Musica Festival. Previous appearances as duo soloists with orchestra include the New York String Orchestra under the baton of Jaime Laredo, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic conducted by Randall Fleisher, and the Albany Symphony Orchestra led by David Alan Miller, among many others.

In addition to performing countless chamber music concerts across the globe as duo parnas, Madalyn and Cicely have had the honor of collaborating with the great artist Peter Serkin. The Parnas/Serkin Trio concertized at The New School, People’s Symphony Concerts, Brattleboro Music Center, and twice at Music Mountain Music Festival, among several other venues. duo parnas has collaborated with world-renowned artists Jaime Laredo and Sharon Robinson. This season they will tour with French pianist, Vincent Adragna, performing at Bargemusic and Tannery Pond Concerts, among others, and will be concertizing in China in Fall 2013.

Recording for Sheffield Lab, duo parnas has released two CDs and a third will be available Fall 2012. Parnas Double includes music by Handel-Halvorsen, Kodaly, Ravel, and Tcherepnin; Gare du Nord concentrates on music inspired by Parisian culture, with works by Martinu, Milhaud, Gliere, Fennelly, and Honegger; and, In Real Time will feature duos written by living composers Auerbach, Bolcom, Moravec, and Wuorinen, among others. Albany Records will soon release a collection of works by Brian Fennelly, including his double concerto, Fantasia Concertante, performed by duo parnas.

Madalyn, 21, and Cicely, 19, hold Artist Diplomas from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where they studied with Jaime Laredo and Sharon Robinson, respectively. Madalyn also holds an undergraduate degree in Music Industry and French, and will be completing a Masters this year at London’s Royal Academy of Music as a Marshall Scholar. Cicely will be completing her undergraduate degree at Cleveland Institute of Music as a full scholarship recipient. Madalyn and Cicely are the granddaughters of the legendary cellist Leslie Parnas.

Last updated: 6/19/2012

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

"It truly was a breathtaking moment. Each soloist played with a flair and zest that seemed way beyond their years, and the sound quality and intonation was truly extraordinary. The result was a resounding standing ovation from the delighted crowd."

-- J. Warren Cahill, Mid-Hudson Times

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

-- Sam Goodyear, Cooperstown Freeman’s Journal

"The Sisters Parnas, violinist Madalyn and cellist Cicely, are poised for potential major careers in an increasingly superstar-oriented classical music business. The winsome Stephentown, N.Y., duo made that perfectly clear in their performance with the Albany Symphony..."

-- Clarence Fanto, Berkshire Living

"The Parnas sisters...could just as well have been gazelle and antelope, so thoroughly did they erase programmatic connotations with the suavity and assurance of their playing... They are real talents. There is nothing showy in their playing. Everything is for musical value..."

-- Andrew L. Pincus, Berkshire Eagle

"...as Duo Parnas walked on stage in gowns of peach and pink, it felt like the blooming of roses in winter. No less radiant was their playing..."

-- Joseph Dalton, Times Union

"Although the violin-cello duo of Madalyn and Cicely Parnas have local roots, they’re destined for an international career that could make this area but a memory. Neither is 20; both have impressive virtuoso chops that they’ve already wielded to great acclaim as soloists and in chamber music performances...."

-- B.A. Nilsson, Metroland

"...violinist Madalyn Parnas, 19, and cellist Cicely, 17, were the stars of the Albany Symphony Orchestra concert Thursday night at the Canfield Casino..."

-- Geraldine Freedman, The Daily Gazette