Jon Kimura Parker
Internationally acclaimed pianist, Jon Kimura Parker was born in 1959, the son of Keiko Parker, and was raised and educated in Vancouver. He appeared with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, when he was five, beginning his musical education at the Vancouver Academy of Music and later studying at the Juilliard School in New York under Adele Marcus. He has performed as guest artist with the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra and with the major orchestras of Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and throughout Canada.
Jon has given recitals in London, New York, Chicago, Munich, Budapest, Sydney, Hong Kong and Tokyo and has performed with the Tokyo String Quartet and Joshua Bell. In the Spring of 2007 he performed and spoke alongside humanitarians, Elie Wiesel and Paul Rusesabagina at the 50th. anniversary of ‘Americare’, under whose auspices, he performed in war-torn Sarajevo in 1995. He has jammed with Doc Severinsen and Bobby McFerrin and collaborated with Audra McDonald and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
He is currently Professor of Piano at The Shepherd School of Music, Rice University in Houston, Texas. In 1999, Jon Kimura Parker was awarded his country’s highest honour, the Order of Canada. A committed educator, he has given Master Classes at many significant institutions, including the Stearns Institute, the Banff Centre and the Juilliard School. “Jackie” Parker has also hosted and appeared in many television programs and series on CBC, CNN and PBS. He is the Artistic Advisor of the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival.
