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Author Bio:

Patricia Parr is a Juno Award-winning Canadian pianist, well known for her twenty-year collaboration with the AMICI Chamber Ensemble. Before the age of twenty, she had made thirty appearances with major symphony orchestras. In later years, Ms. Parr received the Order of Canada for her landmark contributions to Canadian classical music. She is a retired professor at the University of Toronto.

Reviews:

“Patricia Parr writes with elegance and charm about the sacrifices—and the privileges—of growing up as a child prodigy who matures into a celebrated chamber musician. With deft humour, her memoir provides rare insight into the world of musical luminaries … A beautifully written memoir.”

—Sylvia Fraser, author of My Father’s House

“…Uncluttered and unpretentious … Patricia Parr seems to be discovering herself by writing, just as we discover her by reading. She leaves us with a magnificent list of music to be listened to with a fresh ear.”

—Peggy Baker, C.M., dancer/choreographer

“Patricia Parr is a musician’s musician. How she survived the isolation of a celebrated childhood to become our premiere chamber-music pianist is a story told with unflinching honesty, amused reverence, and no little grief.”

—William Aide, C.M., pianist and retired professor

“Over the years, Patricia became my favourite chamber music pianist. I got to know her quite well—or so I had thought. But after reading her concise, insightful memoir, I realized that life as a child prodigy took more of a toll on her than I, or anyone, could have imagined.”

—Neil Crory, music producer, CBC Radio

“Above Parr tells in fascinating detail how Patricia Parr evolved from child prodigy to consummate pianist and artist, but it is also the inspiring story of the spellbinding power that music holds over all of us.”

—Arnold Steinhardt, First Violinist of the Guarneri String Quartet