Alexandria Symphony to Welcome Musical Sisters, duo parnas, in November

Musical sisters duo parnas, aka violinist Madalyn Parnas and cellist Cicely Parnas, will headline two upcoming concerts by the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra in upcoming performances in November.

Officially recognized at Carnegie Hall with a 1st prize win at the 2008 International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition, the duo earned rave reviews in The New York Times for their performances. “... the duo parnas gave a stunning account of Martinu’s lively, sometimes prickly Duo for Violin and Cello. The intricate give-and-take between the cello and violin lines was perfectly balanced and suffused with ... electricity and drama ...”

The duo parnas has performed across the globe in music festivals, recitals and as soloists with orchestra. They have performed with Peter Serkin as the Parnas/Serkin Trio and have earned international acclaim for their recordings.

Madalyn and Cicely hold Artist Diplomas from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where they studied with Jaime Laredo and Sharon Robinson. Madalyn holds a B.S. in Music Industry and French, and an M.A. from London’s Royal Academy of Music, where she studied as a 2012 Marshall Scholar. She performs on a 1715 Allessandro Gagliano violin, and Cicely on a 1712 Giovanni Grancino cello. They are the granddaughters of the legendary cellist Leslie Parnas.

The concert, dubbed “Dare to Transcend” will feature the symphony orchestra and guest performers, led by Maestro Kim Allen Kluge in performances of:

• HORNER: Music from Braveheart (1995)
• BRAHMS: Double Concerto in A minor
• BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 7

The first concert takes place Saturday, Nov. 15 at 8 p.m. at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center; the second concert is Sunday, Nov. 16 at 3:30 p.m. at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial.

Tickets are $20 for adults; student tickets are $10, with ID. Youth tickets are $5, for ages 18 and younger. Purchase tickets online at www.alexsym.org or call 703-548-0885. There will be “pre-concert chats” presented one hour prior to each performance.

Free parking is provided by the ASO at both venues. The Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center is also accessible by Metro bus lines 7A, 7B, 7F, 7Y, 25A, 25C and 25E, as well as DASH bus line AT6. The George Washington Masonic Memorial is accessible by the Blue and Yellow metro line, numerous Metro, Dash and Richmond Highway Express bus lines, and the King Street Trolley in Old Town Alexandria.

PHOTO of duo parnas violinist Madalyn Parnas and cellist Cicely Parnas courtesy of duo parnas via Alexandria Symphony Orchestra