BACKSTAGE WITH… Artist manager Jasper Parrott
Classical music agent Harrisonparrott is celebrating its 50th anniversary with three concerts in a day. Why did you decide to mark it in this way?
We wanted to give a platform for our younger and most senior artists to perform together. The Philharmonia Orchestra is the orchestra with which we have had the most intensive and longest relationship, so it was natural that they’d be involved in a significant way. The orchestra will be performing under four different conductors of four different nationalities, representing the fact that music is an international language.
Have you commissioned new works for the concerts?
We had a wonderful opportunity when Peter Eötvös was in the office, and I rather cheekily asked him if he would like to compose a short work for violinists Pekka Kuusisto and Patricia Kopatchinskaja, who are great friends and dynamic artists. He’s written a short piece dedicated to my colleague Lydia Connolly, who works with him. It feels very personal.
Looking back, what have been your highlights?
I remember presenting Pierre Boulez with the idea of marking his birthday with a retrospective of his work in Japan. It took place in 1995 with him conducting eight concerts and was one of the most formative and gratifying experiences of my life. We’ve always seen our role as enablers, the people who can empower artists to present their work as they want.