Piano Extravaganza, presented by Lions Gate Sinfonia, Saturday, Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m. at North Vancouver's Centennial Theatre. Pre-performance chat with maestro Clyde Mitchell at 6:30 p.m. Info: lionsgatesinfonia.com.
No matter what far-flung international locale concert pianist Ian Parker finds himself in, someone asks him about his father.
Comments like, "How's your dad?" or "I studied with him back in the '60s," are common as Edward Parker, a famed Burnaby pianist and teacher who's known widely for his book, Piano Pedagogy: A Practical Approach, touched countless lives throughout his long and respected professional career.
Born in the height of the Depression with no musical background, Edward started taking lessons thanks to the generosity of a teacher who lived down the street. Approaching her one day and expressing his interest in learning to play, but explaining he couldn't afford to pay her, the woman said not to worry and committed to teaching Edward the piano anyhow.
One day, Edward, who continued to excel at the instrument, was practising at his teacher's house when there was a knock at the door. There stood another woman who, after complimenting him on his playing, said she had two daughters in need of lessons and that she wanted him to be their instructor.
Edward attempted to set her straight, saying he wasn't a teacher by any means, but the woman refused to take no for an answer and said she'd see him Tuesday.
"Tuesday, lo and behold, these two girls showed up," says Ian. "He started teaching and found a real knack for it and started his studio like that. And eventually had the money to buy a piano and continued his performing career until the teaching part took way over. It all started with a nice lady who gave him free lessons down the street."
Edward's legacy led to Ian's own interest in the piano and current status as an accomplished professional musician and teacher in his own right. He started studying at age three, instructed by both his father, and late mother Eileen. These days, Ian splits his time between Vancouver and New York City when he's not on the road. His busy performance schedule has recently taken him to New Orleans and the Gulf Islands, and he's looking forward to shows in Santa Barbara, Spokane and Maui among others through the New Year.
Ian credits his father with so much. "He lived through me very vicariously because I had the talent, I had the music, I had the business sense and I had that soloistic personality that (made him say), 'Wow, here's a reincarnation of myself 50 years later,'" he says.
Edward was continually interested in his son's training, which included completing bachelor's and master's degrees at The Julliard School, and subsequent professional life. Ian recalls his dad's frequent check-ins, always armed with a multitude of specific questions, like how Julliard was going, how was the day's lesson, did he practise, and what did his conductor think of his playing as of late.
"A lot of the reasons why I went as far as I did is because of that propulsion that I had from my dad," says Ian.
Ian is pleased with the opportunity to pay tribute to his father at Piano Extravaganza, Lions Gate Sinfonia's 2015-2016 season opener, Saturday, Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m., at North Vancouver's Centennial Theatre. Ian is the evening's featured soloist and Edward will be in attendance at the concert, which will see Ian perform Grieg's "Piano Concerto."
"It's a very special event in many ways because my dad is turning 85 on that concert - He's got very deep dementia and advanced Alzheimer's, however he can still play - One of his favourite pieces of all time was the Grieg "Piano Concerto" and that's actually a concerto that he performed with the Vancouver Symphony back in the '50s. It's kind of a bittersweet thing to bring in because he'll definitely recognize the music and enjoy it, but he may not know it's me up there, but that doesn't matter. So it's a very special event in a personal way for myself because of that but also I don't know if he'll ever hear me in concert again," says Ian.
This marks Ian's first time performing the work locally, which he says has been a celebrated success since its debut.
"The Grieg concerto is one of the cornerstone, most beautiful, most loved, most celebrated concertos of the romantic era. Grieg himself wrote some of the most beautiful and memorable melodies. What was a bit of a shame is that he spent his whole life tweaking and fixing up this one-and-only concerto instead of writing another one," he says.
Also on the program is Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D minor."
The concert is similar to one Ian did with Lions Gate Sinfonia back in 2013, also launching the North Shore orchestra's season as well as highlighting the talents of North Shore Registered Music Teachers' Association students.
Ian, reached Tuesday by the North Shore News, was looking forward to working with the students the following day, set to lead a master class to help them prepare for the performance and to play with the orchestra.
"To work with these kids and then to see them go up on stage and do that, some of them for the first time, is priceless," he says.
Other Lions Gate Sinfonia 2015-2016 season highlights include: The Magic Flute with guests Sarah Jackson, principal piccolo for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the 20-member Capilano Flute Choir, Nov. 7; A Very Sinfonia Family Christmas featuring Monique Creber and Family Dec. 19; East meets West with Pars National Ballet, barbat player Hossein Behroozinia and principal horn player Duncan Shaw, Feb. 27, 2016; and Majesty and Meditation with Vancouver Symphony Orchestra principal cellist Ariel Barnes and Lions Gate Sinfonia concertmaster Andrea Siradze, April 23, 2016.
