Myran Parker-Brass

Myran Parker-Brass, a native of Chicago, Illinois, is both a professional musician and music educator. She holds a double Masters Degree in Music Performance and Music Education and has been working for the past thirty (30) years providing access to quality arts education for students, teachers, families and the broader community.

For the past sixteen years Myran has worked as the Director of Education and Community Programs for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In this capacity she has successfully increased the presence of the BSO education programs on both a national and international level with many of the programs being used as models for other orchestras, arts organizations and education institutions.

Myran has served on the Commissioner’s Arts Education Advisory Council for the Massachusetts State Department of Education, the Boston Public Schools Arts Education Task Force, and the Massachusetts Alliance for Arts Education. Myran currently serves on the board of the Boston Children’s Chorus, the Performing Arts School of Worcester, the Marthannie Conservatory in Houston Texas and Arts Education Advisory Council for Cambridge Public Schools.

In addition to her work in education Myran continues a busy life as a professional musician, performing in the United States, Europe and South America moving comfortably between classical, jazz and gospel genres. Myran has appeared as soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra which the Boston Globe praised as …. “just plain wonderful”. She has appeared on Public Radio and in concert settings throughout New England. Her jazz performances earned her the “Outstanding Jazz Vocalist” award at the Notre Dame Jazz Festival. Myran is co-founder of the New England Spiritual Ensemble, dedicated to the preservation and performance of the Negro Spirituals, and on any given Sunday can be found directing the Voices of Myrtle at Myrtle Baptist Church in West Newton, MA.

In September 2005 Myran began yet another role as Chair of the Experiential Education Department at Longy School of Music.

Myran is married to Kenneth Brass, an accomplished musician and educator, and they are the parents of Kristen Brass currently a sophomore in college.