About

Hello there! As a musician performing in the city, I aim to bring new music to audiences. It's not too hard as I play three relatively uncommon instruments! But after studying history at Cambridge University and Historical Performance at Oberlin, I aim to bring early music and new music together as I continue my studies at the Juilliard School sat at the harp bench. Johann Jakob Froberger, Elliott Carter, Antonio de Cabezón, Toshio Hosokawa - these are just a few of the composers from the 17th and 20th centuries I enjoy programming!

Here's my bio!
Parker Ramsay is known in the United States, Europe and Asia both as an accomplished soloist and accompanist, having been the first American selected to serve as Organ Scholar at King’s College, Cambridge. Born to musician parents in Nashville, Tennessee, Parker maintains a lively interest in the interactions between music and society, running a blog about the life of a working musician and student in New York City (www.harpingon.live).

In 2014, Parker was awarded First Prize at the Sweelinck International Organ Competition (NL). He has performed in venues including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Washington National Cathedral, Princeton University Chapel, the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, and the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. Festival appearances have included the Gergiev Festival in Rotterdam, the Dubrovnik Summer Music Festival, the Cambridge Summer Music Festival, the Cambridge New Music Project, the 800 Jahre Thomana Celebration in Leipzig, and the 2012 American Guild of Organists National Convention, premiering a newly commissioned work, Phos, by Diana Burrell.

Parker is currently pursuing a master’s degree in harp performance at the Juilliard School where he studies with Nancy Allen. Prior to his studies in New York City, he served as Organ Scholar at King’s College, Cambridge, serving under the direction of Stephen Cleobury, whilst undertaking undergraduate studies in history. His tenure as organ scholar included two international tours, four recordings, as well as numerous television and radio broadcasts, including the service of Nine Lessons and Carols on December 24, 2012. In addition to accompanying the choir of King’s College, Parker has also had the opportunity to play for the Royal School of Church Music America summer programs, and has accompanied choirs such as the Vienna Boys Choir and the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge. Following his tenure at Cambridge, Parker went on to complete at master’s degree in historical performance at Oberlin Conservatory, where he studied organ with James David Christie and harpsichord with Webb Wiggins and Lisa Crawford. He currently serves as Organist and Choirmaster at Christ & Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church, New York City.

Music

A. Mudarra - Fantasia que contrahaze la harpa en la manera de Ludovico
C. Monteverdi - Nigra Sum
J.J. Froberger - Lamento sopra la dolorosa perdita della Real Maestà di Ferdinando IV Rè de Romani
J.S. Bach - Prelude and Fugue in D minor, BWV 530
J.S. Bach - Partita no. 2 in C minor, BWV 826
G.F. Handel - Concerto for Harp
J.B. Loeillet - Toccata
W.A. Mozart - Sonata in F, K332
Franz Liszt - Le Rossignol
Marcel Tournier - Féerie
Henriette Renié - Légende
Albert Zabel - La Source
Gabriel Fauré - Une châtelaine en sa tour, Op.110
Gabriel Fauré - Impromptu, Op.86
Hanuš Trneček - Fantasia on themes from Smetana's "Ma Vlast"
Camille Saint-Saëns - Fantaisie, Op. 95
Benjamin Britten - Suite for Harp, Op. 83
Paul Hindemith - Sonata for Harp
Sergiu Natra - Sonatina for Harp (1963)
Elliott Carter - Bariolage (1992)
Toshio Hokosawa - Two Folksongs (1998)
Paul Patterson - Spiders (1983)
Lowell Liebermann - Music for Harp (2011)

Audio

Past groupmuses (4)