"Master trombonist" -New Music Connoisseur
"Neil is a quadruple threat in the most positive of ways…
energy as he plays, passion as he dances, spirit as he acts, determination as he works. Neil comes alive when he performs!" -Joy Young, South Carolina Arts Commission
"Neil is like a rubber band with attitude." -Chris Grymes, Clarinetist & Founder of Open G Records
Photo: Hannah I. Spence
C. Neil Parsons has been performing for as long as he can remember, appearing in his first professional theatre production at age three. Extensive touring has taken him to 40 states, with performances at major performing arts centers such as the Kennedy Center, residencies at numerous universities, and solo engagements with symphony orchestras, including the Boston Symphony. His creative output runs the gamut of music, theatre, and dance productions: from solo to chamber to orchestral music (including symphony, pit, and disco orchestras); from Shakespeare to musical theatre to outdoor drama; and from modern to tap to site-specific dance pieces. Neil also has experience with aerial silks and clowning.
Beyond his versatility across disciplines and genres, Neil is best-known for combining his talents in music, theatre, and dance. In 2010 he co-founded the hybrid arts ensemble The Fourth Wall with flutist Hilary Abigana and percussionist Greg Jukes. Winners of the 2014 Savvy Musician in Action Chamber Ensemble Competition, The Fourth Wall continues to develop interdisciplinary works and innovative performances for diverse audiences, including New Music concerts, Fringe Festivals, collaborative productions with The Phoenix Theatre and Windfall Dancers, guest artist appearances with orchestras, and arts-integrated educational offerings. Through residency programs, The Fourth Wall leads hybrid arts workshops for musicians, dancers, and actors to share collaborative techniques.
Neil frequently collaborates with other musicians, choreographing and directing them in interdisciplinary works. Collaborators include Sputter Box, Tales & Scales, Early Music in Motion, songwriter Krista Detor, violinist Andrew McCann, percussionist Paul Fadoul, oboist Meaghan Heinrich, as well as numerous projects with flutist Zara Lawler.
An active commissioner of new music, Neil has premiered the works of many composers, including Brett Abigaña, Jen Baker, Miguel Bareilles, Alla Borzova, Justin Casinghino, Ramon Castillo, Jon Deak, Jesus Gonzalez, Chris Grymes, Davide Ianni, Clifton Ingram, Jerome Kitzke, Doug Lofstrom, Stefanie Lubkowski, Luigi Morleo, Greg Nahabedian, Jose Guillermo Puello, Bahar Royaee, George Tsontakis, Jeremy Van Buskirk, Po-Chun Wang, Randall Woolf, and Mark Zuckerman.
Before relocating to Boston, Neil lived in Bloomington, Indiana, where he performed with the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, was a member of the Ensemble of Artists for the Bloomington Playwrights Project, and served as Show Director for Windfall Dancers. With the BPP, Neil directed multiple productions, including an elaborate staged reading of "Candide Does America" by Donald C. Drake; choreographed the Indiana premiere of Jason Robert Brown's musical "13;" acted in several plays, originating roles in new works by Greg Kotis, Erin Levy, Tami Sagher, and Chris White; penned the winning play in the 2012 PlayOffs competition, and taught several summer camps.
As Show Director for Windfall Dancers, Neil produced three evening-length productions of original choreography by himself and members of the modern dance collective. "Pointe/Counterpoint" showcased Neil's choreography for Windfall and The Fourth Wall. For "DancE=mc2," Neil collaborated with the radio program "A Moment of Science" to script, score, and choreograph "Dance of the Neurotransmitters," a choreographic exploration narrated by Don Glass and Yael Ksander. "MAD Skillz," featured Music And Dance collaborations with live music performed by various Bloomington musical groups and soloists. Neil's piece "Cygnets Vignettes," a setting of Stravinsky's Octet for Winds was also featured on the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra's concert "Dance Dance Revolution." In 2011 Neil spearheaded the creation of Windfall's ongoing series "Early Drafts," a showcase for new works and works in progress open to performers and writers from Bloomington's active artistic community.
Neil spent nine years performing and creating works with Tales & Scales, a not-for-profit touring ensemble which united music, dance and theatre into original Musictales for children and family audiences. National touring took him to thirty-six states, performing over 1,500 shows and leading participatory workshops at schools, theatres, festivals, libraries, book stores, and performing arts centers. Performances also included guest appearances with symphony orchestras including the Atlanta Symphony, Boston Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Dallas Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony, and the Oregon Symphony.
Neil graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy and received his Bachelor’s degree from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he studied bass trombone with Ray Premru. While at Oberlin, he combined his interests in music, dance, and teaching by designing an individual major: Interdisciplinary Performance and Education. He then continued his studies with trombonist Tony Baker and at the Ohio University School of Dance. Neil earned a Master's degree in 2017 as an inaugural member of the newly-launched Contemporary Classical Music Performance graduate program at Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
Neil is an Assistant Professor of Theater in Boston Conservatory at Berklee's Contemporary Theater BFA program.
Neil is also a Licensed Massage Therapist, specializing in the needs of performers and athletes.
Beyond his versatility across disciplines and genres, Neil is best-known for combining his talents in music, theatre, and dance. In 2010 he co-founded the hybrid arts ensemble The Fourth Wall with flutist Hilary Abigana and percussionist Greg Jukes. Winners of the 2014 Savvy Musician in Action Chamber Ensemble Competition, The Fourth Wall continues to develop interdisciplinary works and innovative performances for diverse audiences, including New Music concerts, Fringe Festivals, collaborative productions with The Phoenix Theatre and Windfall Dancers, guest artist appearances with orchestras, and arts-integrated educational offerings. Through residency programs, The Fourth Wall leads hybrid arts workshops for musicians, dancers, and actors to share collaborative techniques.
Neil frequently collaborates with other musicians, choreographing and directing them in interdisciplinary works. Collaborators include Sputter Box, Tales & Scales, Early Music in Motion, songwriter Krista Detor, violinist Andrew McCann, percussionist Paul Fadoul, oboist Meaghan Heinrich, as well as numerous projects with flutist Zara Lawler.
An active commissioner of new music, Neil has premiered the works of many composers, including Brett Abigaña, Jen Baker, Miguel Bareilles, Alla Borzova, Justin Casinghino, Ramon Castillo, Jon Deak, Jesus Gonzalez, Chris Grymes, Davide Ianni, Clifton Ingram, Jerome Kitzke, Doug Lofstrom, Stefanie Lubkowski, Luigi Morleo, Greg Nahabedian, Jose Guillermo Puello, Bahar Royaee, George Tsontakis, Jeremy Van Buskirk, Po-Chun Wang, Randall Woolf, and Mark Zuckerman.
Before relocating to Boston, Neil lived in Bloomington, Indiana, where he performed with the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, was a member of the Ensemble of Artists for the Bloomington Playwrights Project, and served as Show Director for Windfall Dancers. With the BPP, Neil directed multiple productions, including an elaborate staged reading of "Candide Does America" by Donald C. Drake; choreographed the Indiana premiere of Jason Robert Brown's musical "13;" acted in several plays, originating roles in new works by Greg Kotis, Erin Levy, Tami Sagher, and Chris White; penned the winning play in the 2012 PlayOffs competition, and taught several summer camps.
As Show Director for Windfall Dancers, Neil produced three evening-length productions of original choreography by himself and members of the modern dance collective. "Pointe/Counterpoint" showcased Neil's choreography for Windfall and The Fourth Wall. For "DancE=mc2," Neil collaborated with the radio program "A Moment of Science" to script, score, and choreograph "Dance of the Neurotransmitters," a choreographic exploration narrated by Don Glass and Yael Ksander. "MAD Skillz," featured Music And Dance collaborations with live music performed by various Bloomington musical groups and soloists. Neil's piece "Cygnets Vignettes," a setting of Stravinsky's Octet for Winds was also featured on the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra's concert "Dance Dance Revolution." In 2011 Neil spearheaded the creation of Windfall's ongoing series "Early Drafts," a showcase for new works and works in progress open to performers and writers from Bloomington's active artistic community.
Neil spent nine years performing and creating works with Tales & Scales, a not-for-profit touring ensemble which united music, dance and theatre into original Musictales for children and family audiences. National touring took him to thirty-six states, performing over 1,500 shows and leading participatory workshops at schools, theatres, festivals, libraries, book stores, and performing arts centers. Performances also included guest appearances with symphony orchestras including the Atlanta Symphony, Boston Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Dallas Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony, and the Oregon Symphony.
Neil graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy and received his Bachelor’s degree from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he studied bass trombone with Ray Premru. While at Oberlin, he combined his interests in music, dance, and teaching by designing an individual major: Interdisciplinary Performance and Education. He then continued his studies with trombonist Tony Baker and at the Ohio University School of Dance. Neil earned a Master's degree in 2017 as an inaugural member of the newly-launched Contemporary Classical Music Performance graduate program at Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
Neil is an Assistant Professor of Theater in Boston Conservatory at Berklee's Contemporary Theater BFA program.
Neil is also a Licensed Massage Therapist, specializing in the needs of performers and athletes.