Composer

Biography

Brent Parker is a New Zealand-born composer and pianist who has lived in Ireland for more than 40 years. He taught at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama in Dublin (formerly the College of Music, Adelaide Road) from 1974 until he retired as a lecturer in 1998 and moved to Achill Island.

Brent has composed many works and performed both of his own piano concertos with the RTE National Symphony Orchestra. His second piano concerto with himself as soloist was broadcast on RTE Radio. Classical guitarist John Feeley commissioned him to write a guitar concertino, which was performed on CD and on video for TV3 in France. It is frequently broadcast on RTE Radio.

A Hungarian orchestra played Brent’s first piano concerto in 1996 at a gala event organised in the National Concert Hall, Dublin, by the Hungarian Ambassador to Ireland to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Hungarian Uprising. The Savaria Symphony Orchestra of Szombathely, Hungary, conducted by Kerry-born maestro Robert Houlihan with Irish pianist Finghin Collins as soloist, performed the concerto, inspired by the 1956 uprising. Brent has written many orchestral works, some of which have been performed by the RTE Concert Orchestra. He has written books for Walton’s in Dublin and arranged many traditional Irish songs. Since he moved to the west of Ireland he has been developing computer skills with a view to publishing new approaches to “Mind Training” through music. He created and teaches a course, “Composing on Computer”, to Achill primary school children at the IT Centre in Crumpaun, Keel. Brent has co-authored a unique set of children’s books, for which he has composed a soundtrack. The story line of the book is based on the essential struggle in music history of the 20th century, the battle between tonal and atonal music. Tomas Mac Shean of Achill Island is translating the books into Irish.

Brent is a member of the Association of Irish Composers, the Contemporary Music Society and an associate member of IMRO. His work for solo piano ’Lorca’s Last Walk’ has been included on the Grade 7 Syllabus of the RIAM for piano 2003-2008. A short choral work ‘Credo’, was premiered in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, by the joint choirs of St Patrick and Resurgam, (a choir formed by New Zealander, Mark Dulek) and brass from the Dublin Ensemble. This concert was sponsored by Chernobyl Children’s Project International. His work ‘En France’, commissioned by RTE Lyric FM, for Flute, Viola, Harp/Piano, has been recorded and is being broadcast frequently by Lyric FM.

As Composer in Residence at the Laois School of Music his work for string orchestra, woodwind and choir, ‘The Slieve Bloom Suite’, has been premiered on June 15th at the end of year concert.