Parnas, Leslie

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Parnas, Leslie

Parnas, Leslie, American cellist and teacher; b. St. Louis, Nov. 11, 1931. He studied with Piatigorsky at the Curtis Inst. of Music in Philadelphia (1948–53). He won a number of prizes, including 2nd prize in the Geneva Competition (1957), the Prix Pablo Casals in the International Cello Competition in Paris (1957), and the joint 2nd prize (no 1st prize was given) in the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow (1962). He was 1st cellist in the St. Louis Sym. Orch. (1954–62), and then appeared worldwide as a soloist with orchs., recitalist, and chamber music player. He taught at Boston Univ. (from 1962) and the St. Louis Cons. of Music (from 1982).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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