Starr Parodi (born in Los Angeles, California) is an American pianist, film composer, music producer, arranger, music director, and former president of The Alliance for Women Film Composers.[1] In 2023, Parodi won the Grammy Award for Best Classical Compendium Album as both a producer and featured artist on An Adoption Story (Kitt Wakeley).[2] Parodi was also a featured artist and composer on 2022 Grammy-winning album (Best Classical Compendium), Women Warriors: The Voices Of Change (Amy Andersson).[3] Parodi won the 2021 Hollywood Music In Media Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition for her piece Joy Of The Waters (with Amy Andersson/Women Warriors: The Voices Of Change).[4] Parodi has won multiple BMI most performed music awards,[5]Key Art and Telly Awards. In May 2017, Parodi's most recent album "The Heart Of Frida", a cinematic collection of solo piano works inspired by the late artist Frida Kahlo, was awarded ZMR's "Piano Album Of The Year - Solo" by International Radio Broadcasters[6] and "Solo Piano Album Of The Year - Improvised" by SoloPiano.com. Parodi's solo piano recording "Common Places" was awarded Solo Piano Recording of the Year by solopianoradio.com in 2007[7][8] and in 2005 she received an RIAA Gold Record for her recording and updated arrangement of the "James Bond Theme".[9]
Parodi co-produced with Terry Sanders, Mary Ann Cummins, Jeff Eden Fair, and Isolde Fair's "To All The Little Girls" music video. She also conducted a live performance of "To All The Little Girls" at Lincoln Center for the 2017 New York Times/Tina Brown - Women In The World Summit, performed by Isolde Fair with an orchestra of young women from the Mannes School and the Renaissance Youth Center Choir.[13]
In 2009 Parodi became the first woman composer to have her orchestral work represented nightly at the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach, California. Parodi is currently a featured composer at The Pageant of the Masters. '
Parodi also composed the musical theme for the 1990s-era United Artists production logo.
Parodi was selected to study with Jerry Goldsmith in his first BMI-conducting master class. Parodi has since conducted ensembles from 5 to 95 pieces in live orchestral, live television, and studio recording environments.
Parodi is an official Steinway Piano recording and performing artist. She also uses and endorses Korg synthesizers and Steinberg's recording software.
Comedian Arsenio Hall invited Parodi to play keyboards on his late-night show, The Arsenio Hall Show, in the show's house band The Posse.[14] This garnered the young musician her early recognition and led to her performance at the Kennedy Center for the inauguration of President Clinton. Parodi was a featured artist along with Bruce Hornsby, George Duke, and Joe Zawinul at Keyboard magazine's 20th-anniversary concert (celebrating 20 of the world's top contemporary keyboardists).
Parodi is married to Jeff Eden Fair and together they have a daughter, Isolde Maria Parodi Fair. Parodi is the daughter of geothermal energy pioneer Roy Parodi and his wife Marcella Starr Parodi.
