Parrott, Andrew (Haden)
Parrott, Andrew (Haden)
Parrott, Andrew (Haden), distinguished English conductor and musicologist; b. Walsall, March 10, 1947. He was educated at Merton Coll., Oxford (B.A., 1969), where he served as director of music (1969–71). In 1973 he founded the Taverner Choir, and subsequently the Taverner Consort and Players, with which he acquired a notable reputation as a conductor of works from the medieval era to the late 18th century. In 1977 he made his first appearance at London’s BBC Promenade Concerts conducting Monteverdi’s Vespers. He made his debut at Milan’s La Scala in 1985, and at the Salzburg Festival in 1987. In 1993 he made his first appearance at London’s Covent Garden conducting Die Zauberflöte. He was named Honorary Resident Fellow at Royal Hollo-way, Univ. of London, in 1995. In 2000 he became music director of the London Mozart Players. Parrott has appeared as a guest conductor with both period and modern instrument orchs., as well as chamber orchs. and opera companies. His repertoire embraces music from the medieval period to the present. In addition to articles in scholarly journals, he ed., with H. Keyte, The New Oxford Book of Carols (Oxford, 1992).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire