Magnetic, articulate, and effortlessly engaging, Canadian pianist and conductor Ian Parker has earned acclaim for his passionate artistry and charismatic stage presence. As a soloist, he has performed with top orchestras across Canada, including the Toronto, Vancouver, Quebec, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Calgary symphonies, as well as Orchestre Métropolitain. In the U.S., he has appeared with the San Francisco, Cincinnati, National, Richmond, and Honolulu symphonies, and with the Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom.

Currently in his second season as Music Director and Principal Conductor of the VAM Symphony Orchestra at the Vancouver Academy of Music, Parker works closely with emerging young artists, conducting four annual concerts at Vancouver’s historic Orpheum Theatre. He also serves as Artistic Director of the Resonate chamber music series at the Kay Meek Centre in North Vancouver.

An active recitalist, Parker has toured extensively throughout North America, Europe, and Israel, with highlights including Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater, UCLA, and the Hawaii International Music Festival. His performances have been featured on Debut Atlantic, Jeunesses Musicales du Canada, and Piano Six tours.

Parker’s discography includes a concerto recording with the London Symphony Orchestra under Michael Francis (Ravel, Gershwin, Stravinsky) and a solo album of fantasies by Chopin, Schumann, and Beethoven (Azica Records). He also recorded Mozart’s concertos for one, two, and three pianos alongside cousins Jon Kimura Parker and Jamie Parker (CBC Records).

A Vancouver native, Ian Parker began piano studies at age three with his father, Edward Parker. He is a graduate of The Juilliard School, where he studied with Yoheved Kaplinsky and won multiple top prizes including the William Petschek Piano Debut Award and the Gina Bachauer Scholarship. He is also a recipient of the prestigious Sylva Gelber Career Grant from the Canada Council for the Arts.