Geoffrey Parsons AO OBE 1929-1995

The encouragement of younger artists became feature of the latter part of his career. His experience was treasured by younger singers such as Thomas Hampson, Olaf Bär, Barbara Bonney, Yvonne Kenny, Bryn Terfyl and Felicity Lott.

Parsons recorded extensively and travelled widely. He performed in more than 40 countries on
six continents. Between 1957 and 1993 he toured Australia 31 times, and conducted several master classes at the State Conservatorium of New South Wales. In 1973 he played for Birgit Nilsson in the first recital in the Sydney Opera House. His last performance in Australia was with Olaf Bär in Schubert’s Winterreise at the University of Melbourne’s Melba Hall in 1993.

Parsons garnered many honours. He was Prince Consort Professor of Piano at the Royal College of Music. He became an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music in 1975, and the Guildhall School of Music in 1983. He received the FRCM in 1987 and was the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Instrumentalist of the Year in 1992. He was awarded the OBE in 1977 and the AO in 1990.

Geoffrey Parsons died in London on 26 January 1995. With the support of the University of Adelaide’s Elder School of Music, the Accompanists’ Guild of South Australia administers the annual Geoffrey Parsons Award. This is designed to encourage young Australian concert pianists to study as either accompanists or opera repetiteurs, and to emulate Geoffrey Parsons’ pioneering achievement in these often neglected areas of music.

Frank Van Straten, 2007