How a Westminster Old Scholar went from an outback shearing shed to becoming one of the world's leading vibraphone virtuosos
Nick Parnell ('94) first discovered his passion for percussion as a 10-year-old, teaching himself the drums in his parents' shearing shed in Orroroo. What began with a pair of drumsticks in the Australian outback would become an internationally acclaimed career.
Nick pictured at Westminster, 1994
After graduating from Westminster, Nick studied at the Elder Conservatorium of Music, where he later became the first University of Adelaide student to earn a PhD in Percussion. Along the way, he won the International Melbourne Percussion Competition in 2001 and established himself as one of Australia's leading percussionists.
Nick has performed with the English National Ballet, Russian Ballet Company, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and West Australian Symphony Orchestra, while helping redefine the vibraphone as a solo classical instrument on stages across Australia and internationally.
In 2015, he founded the Nick Parnell Percussion Academy, inspiring the next generation of percussionists and continuing to share the joy of music with students of all ages.
