Praised for her “velvety sound, articulate passagework, and keen imagination” (The New York Times), American cellist Cicely Parnas leads a dynamic career as an international performing artist. At nineteen years old, Ms. Parnas won first prize at the Young Concert Artists (YCA) International Auditions. Under the auspices of YCA, she presented recitals at such notable venues as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Additionally, she was featured as a guest artist with L’Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire in France, the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, and at YCA festivals in Beijing and Tokyo, among many others. In the season following her tenure with YCA, Ms. Parnas was featured with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and at numerous summer music festivals, including the Brevard Music Festival, El Paso Pro Música, Northwest Bach Festival, and Sitka Summer Music Festival, where she has twice-served as Artist-Apprentice to Grammy award-winning cellist Zuill Bailey. Committed to the advancement of the cello repertoire, Ms. Parnas has premiered numerous works, including Jim McGrath’s “Concertino for Cello,” which she performed with the Montreal Chamber Orchestra. She also commissioned works for solo cello by two-time McKnight Artist Fellow Jocelyn Hagen, as well as Arsentiy Kharitonov.