Nick Parkin

Nicks music career began in the early 1980's when he worked as a multi-instrumentalist for major dance and theatre companies. Since 1995 he has released over 10 cds and has collaborated on both live improvisations and albums with many artists including Clive Bell, Pete Lockett, Z'ev, Tuu, Tom Wallace, Stillpoint, Tom Gillieron, David Stevens and Alio Die (aka Stefano Musso).
His sound has featured on Radio drama and television and has been played in concerts all over Europe including WOMAD, Reading and several touring concerts in Italy
His work for Dance and Theatre has been performed in many of London's leading venues,The Royal Festival Hall,The Queen Elisabeth Hall,The Linbury and Claw Studio Theatre's at The Royal Opera House,The Lilian Baylis Studio Theatre Sadlers Wells,The Royal Academy of Arts,The V&A Museum,The Place Theatre,Riverside Studios,and The Bonnie Bird Theatre Laban Centre.
Nick completed an MA in Electroacoustic Compositon at University of East Anglia in 1999. He was awarded a funded residency in STEIM Amsterdam in 2000, studying innovative interactive software programmes such as LISA (realtime sound manipulation software) and BIG EYE (realtime video software programme).
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Commissions for Dance and Theatre
For the past 26 years, Nick Parkin has worked as an instrumentalist and composer for major dance and theatre companies in the UK including in the 80's Dance Gwylan, Paupers Carnival, Jeff Powell ( Extemporary Dance), Horse and Bamboo Theatre and in the 90's DooCot, Katharina Vogel ( CH), Tetsuro Fukuhara ( J) Marie-Gabrielle Rotie (all works since 1994) , Tanja Raman/Diversions and Lea Dance ( five works since 2002), Athina Valah and Candoco Dance, Royal Festival Hall London 2007. Anna Furse Athletes of the Heart, and Mladinsco Theatre Slovenia 07 / 08. London College of Fashion 08/09, Giovanna Rogante and Marie Gabrielle Rotie 09.
He has worked extensively with Butoh dancers including Ko Murobushi, Tadashi Endo, Tetsuro Fukuhara (at Monaco Digital Dance Fourm 2000) Atsushi Takenouchi, Katsura Kan and Stefan Maria Marb. Stefan Maria Marb,Munich,and Marie Gabrielle Rotie London.
He was selected for the Choreographers and Composers Exchange 2003 at Royal Festival Hall which led to commissions from contemporary dancer Andile Sotiya an associate artist at The Place and also for Stephanie Schober.
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Radio and TV engagements
His work has been played on international radio stations and has been used by international TV stations including BBC and Channel 4, Radio 3 and Radio 4. He appeared on The Slate/BBC Wales as a musician performer working site-specifically in a local quarry in North Wales 1993.
Commissions and Prizes
Nick won a First Prize in the prestigious Bourges Electroacoustic Music Awards 2001 for 'Magmas', which was subsequently broadcast on international radio stations. 'Magmas' was screened at the Queen Elizabeth Hall South Bank 2002 as part of London Sinfonietta's State of the Nation Festival.
Olaf with American Pyro Sculptor Bill Fitzgibbon at Thruxton Racecourse Hampshire 1994,funded by Hampshire Sculpture Trust
Opera Ds Grais by Swiss Composer Christoph Baumann,performed in Zurich and other venues in Switzerland 1996..
Aside from numerous sound commissions for dance and theatre he was also commissioned to create sound for the legendary pyrotechnic event 'Olaf' by Amerian pyrotechnician Bill Fitzgibbons in Thruxton Race Course, Hampshire 1994. His sound was commissioned for an opera 'Das Grais' by Christoph Baumann in Switzerland.
He has also held two Sound Residencies in Portland Quarry in Dorset.
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Artistic Background
Nick originally trained in Fine Art and as a performer, studying Butoh in Paris and also in the Uk with Mutsutaka Ishi and Eiko and Koma, Noh theatre with Akira Matsue, actor training with Yoshi Oida and Paupers Carnival . For 10 years he created landscape based works, touring Europe extensively. He was awarded several residencies to create work including in Switzerland and Spain where he worked in collaboration with Swiss dancer Katharina Vogel. He also worked with Public Dreamers touring the Uk to great acclaim with work based on Ted Hughes Poems, funded by South East Arts/ ACE.
Nick also performed for Theatre of the Heart , Paupers Carnival and Welfare State International. He held residencies in Schloss Brollin Research centre in 1993 and 1994 during the EX-it! butoh choreographers exchange.
He completed a BA in Fine Art/community arts and performance at Bradford College of Art in Yorkshire 1980-83. He has continually created paintings, photographs, performances, objects which revolve around his passion for landscape and environment.
He also held residencies in Schloss Brollin Theatre Research Centre Germany 94/95.
Teaching
Nick has been studying Zhan Zhuang Chi Kung with Master Lam Kam Chuen for over 10 years. He currently teaches Site Specific performance research for BA and MA students at Goldsmiths University of London,as well as workshops and classes for Butoh UK,Laban Centre,and Siobhan Davies Studio London.
He also teaches environmental workshops.