Period

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Renaissance

 

 

Baroque

Genre

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Keyboard

 

Edward Parmentier is a renowned classical music artist who has made significant contributions to the world of music through his exceptional skills as a harpsichordist, organist, and pianist. He was born on August 22, 1951, in New York City, USA, and grew up in a family that valued music and the arts. His father was a music teacher, and his mother was a painter, which exposed him to the world of music and art from a young age. Parmentier's love for music began at an early age, and he started playing the piano when he was just five years old. He showed exceptional talent and was soon enrolled in the Juilliard School of Music in New York City, where he studied piano under the tutelage of Rosina Lhevinne. He later went on to study harpsichord and organ at the Amsterdam Conservatory in the Netherlands, where he was mentored by Gustav Leonhardt, one of the most prominent harpsichordists of the 20th century. Parmentier's career as a musician began in the 1970s when he started performing as a soloist and chamber musician in Europe and the United States. He quickly gained recognition for his exceptional skills as a harpsichordist and organist, and his performances were praised for their technical brilliance and musicality. He also became known for his interpretations of Baroque music, which he performed on period instruments, bringing a new level of authenticity to the music. One of the highlights of Parmentier's career was his performance at the Boston Early Music Festival in 1981, where he played the harpsichord in a production of Handel's opera "Almira." The production was a huge success, and Parmentier's performance was praised for its virtuosity and musicality. He went on to perform at the festival several times over the years, becoming one of its most popular performers. Parmentier has also performed with some of the most prestigious orchestras and ensembles in the world, including the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and the Academy of Ancient Music. He has collaborated with many renowned conductors, including Ton Koopman, Christopher Hogwood, and John Eliot Gardiner, and has performed in some of the most prestigious concert halls in the world, including Carnegie Hall, the Royal Albert Hall, and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In addition to his performances, Parmentier has also made significant contributions to the world of music through his recordings. He has recorded over 30 albums, many of which have received critical acclaim and awards. His recordings of Bach's Goldberg Variations and Partitas for Harpsichord are considered some of the best interpretations of these works, and his recording of Handel's Suites for Harpsichord was awarded the Diapason d'Or, one of the most prestigious awards in the classical music world. Parmentier's contributions to the world of music have not gone unnoticed, and he has received many awards and honors throughout his career. In 1999, he was awarded the Noah Greenberg Award by the American Musicological Society, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the performance of early music. He was also awarded the Prix d'Excellence by the Dutch Ministry of Culture in 2001, and in 2011, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Boston Early Music Festival. Despite his many accomplishments, Parmentier remains humble and dedicated to his craft. He continues to perform and record, and he is passionate about sharing his love of music with others.

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