Eric Parkin
English pianist Eric Parkin was born in Stevenage on 24 March 1924, Parkin studied in London at Trinity College of Music.
He had a long career in radio, during which he met composer John Ireland and gave the first performance of Ireland's Piano Concerto at the London Proms with Malcolm Sargent and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Parkin's repertoire was wide, encompassing J S Bach, classical and Romantic repertoire. He loved French and American music, and gave a series of first performances of music by British composers, including Geoffrey Bush, Peter Dickinson, David Gow, Kenneth Leighton and Richard Stoker.
Eric Parkin died on 3 February 2020, aged ninety-five. (This sad news did not become widely known until the end of October 2020.)
A selection of articles about Eric Parkin
CD Spotlight. Enraptured Spirituality - Robert McCarney listens to music by William Baines. '... a very welcome CD ...'
Record Box. Gentle and Meditative - Music by Peter Dickinson, reviewed by Patric Standford
CD Spotlight. A Curious Recital - Paul Calistus-Ashley plays Poulenc, Schubert and Dett, reviewed by Howard Smith. '... verve and sensitivity.'