Biography
Seth Parker Woods strives to expand the cello's presence through a broad and varied performance path. His programs range across classical literature from Baroque origins to the present, while he has undertaken numerous joint projects both throughout Europe and within his American homeland.
Born in Houston during 1984, Parker Woods grew up hearing his father, a gospel and jazz vocalist, rehearse ensembles in the family basement. Another formative spark arrived after he watched the film The Witches of Eastwick, whose flaming cello prompted him to begin lessons and progress rapidly. He enrolled at Houston's High School for Performing and Visual Arts, the same institution that counts R&B star Beyoncé among its alumni. Acceptance into the Juilliard School's preparatory program in New York followed, where André Emilianoff served as his instructor. He later completed a bachelor's degree at the Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music under Frederick Zlotkin, principal cellist of the New York City Ballet.
Remaining in New York, Parker Woods examined ways to bridge classical and popular idioms, touring with artists including Peter Gabriel, Lady Gaga, and Adele while also substituting with the Orchestra of St. Luke's. Composer Patrick Soluri helped him relocate to Europe, where he performed for a period with Berlin's Staatsballett Orchestra. Additional collaborations involved choreographer Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker and a residency at the Centre Intermondes in La Rochelle, France, during which he worked with multiple artists. He contacted experimental composer and cellist Thomas Demenga and pursued studies with him. At the University of Huddersfield in Britain he completed the PhD thesis Almost Human: The study of physical processes and the performance of a prosthetic spine. Engagements included appearances with Belgium's Ictus Ensemble and with experimental trombonist, composer, and Karlheinz Stockhausen student Mike Svoboda in Switzerland.
These activities led to his debut album, asinglewordisnotenough, issued on London's Confront Recordings label. The recording contained premiere versions of works by Michael Clarke, Edward Hamel, George Lewis, and Pierre Alexandre Tremblay, three of them written expressly for Parker Woods. He has maintained an active schedule in both Europe and the U.S., presenting premieres of new pieces by Anna Thorvaldsdottir and others, performing Baroque cello repertoire studied with cellist Elinor Frey, and creating interdisciplinary works such as ICED BODIES, which drew inspiration from the Fluxus movement of the 1960s. In 2023 Parker Woods released the album Difficult Grace on the Cedille Records label; that recording received a Grammy nomination for Best Classical Instrumental Performance.
Born in Houston during 1984, Parker Woods grew up hearing his father, a gospel and jazz vocalist, rehearse ensembles in the family basement. Another formative spark arrived after he watched the film The Witches of Eastwick, whose flaming cello prompted him to begin lessons and progress rapidly. He enrolled at Houston's High School for Performing and Visual Arts, the same institution that counts R&B star Beyoncé among its alumni. Acceptance into the Juilliard School's preparatory program in New York followed, where André Emilianoff served as his instructor. He later completed a bachelor's degree at the Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music under Frederick Zlotkin, principal cellist of the New York City Ballet.
Remaining in New York, Parker Woods examined ways to bridge classical and popular idioms, touring with artists including Peter Gabriel, Lady Gaga, and Adele while also substituting with the Orchestra of St. Luke's. Composer Patrick Soluri helped him relocate to Europe, where he performed for a period with Berlin's Staatsballett Orchestra. Additional collaborations involved choreographer Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker and a residency at the Centre Intermondes in La Rochelle, France, during which he worked with multiple artists. He contacted experimental composer and cellist Thomas Demenga and pursued studies with him. At the University of Huddersfield in Britain he completed the PhD thesis Almost Human: The study of physical processes and the performance of a prosthetic spine. Engagements included appearances with Belgium's Ictus Ensemble and with experimental trombonist, composer, and Karlheinz Stockhausen student Mike Svoboda in Switzerland.
These activities led to his debut album, asinglewordisnotenough, issued on London's Confront Recordings label. The recording contained premiere versions of works by Michael Clarke, Edward Hamel, George Lewis, and Pierre Alexandre Tremblay, three of them written expressly for Parker Woods. He has maintained an active schedule in both Europe and the U.S., presenting premieres of new pieces by Anna Thorvaldsdottir and others, performing Baroque cello repertoire studied with cellist Elinor Frey, and creating interdisciplinary works such as ICED BODIES, which drew inspiration from the Fluxus movement of the 1960s. In 2023 Parker Woods released the album Difficult Grace on the Cedille Records label; that recording received a Grammy nomination for Best Classical Instrumental Performance.
Albums
Singles