An uncommonly versatile musician, cellist MAGGIE PARKINS is equally at home performing chamber music, orchestral music and the avant-garde, and has concertized throughout the Americas and Europe.In addition to being a member of the Eclipse Quartet, Maggie is also the cellist of the Los Angeles based Mojave Piano Trio and Brightwork new music ensemble and the Smudges. Her interest in music outside the classical tradition has led her to perform with Todd Sickafoose, the Jazz Passengers, the Anthony Braxton Tri Centric Ensemble, percussonist Alex Cline and The Phantom Orchard Orchestra.
As an orchestral performer, Parkins has performed under the batons of Seiji Ozawa, Leonard Bernstein, Simon Rattle and Andre Previn. An active recording artist as well, Parkins has recorded extensively with harpist Zeena Parkins and with accordionist Guy Klusevsek and can be heard on the Tzadik, Avan, Bridge, Cold Blue and Victo labels. Ms. Parkins has performed around the world at prestigious venues including the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, the Banff Centre, Festival Internacional de Musica de Cadaques (Spain), Heidelberg Castle Festival, Spoleto (USA and Italy), the Taktlos Festival (Switzerland), and the Bach Aria Festival in New York. She attended the Eastman School of Music and has a doctorate from SUNY at Stony Brook. A dedicated educator, she taught cello and chamber music at the University of California, Irvine for 19 years and currently teaches cello at Pomona College.