Gradauate Ian Parvin unites music and STEM

Ian Parvin originally came to Utah State University to study mechanical engineering, but after graduation he is going to pursue a graduate degree at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. 

Parvin said his favorite activity in elementary school was music, and he still keeps in touch with his music teacher. 

“In third grade, you were allowed to audition for the choir,” Parvin said. “She asked who was going to do it, and I didn’t raise my hand. In front of everybody, she picked me out and said, ‘Ian, raise your hand.’ She knew that I had some musical ability that I didn’t even know I really had.” 

According to Parvin, this made a big impact on the way he saw himself in music. 

“In elementary school, in fifth grade, when the guidance counselor from the middle school I went to came, and we had to fill out these forms for what electives we wanted to take. My top choices were orchestra and then band and then choir,” Parvin said. “I guess I knew I wanted to play an instrument.” 

Parvin said he tried out several instruments before choosing the viola. 

“I thought the violin was too high and screechy,” Parvin said. “I really wanted to play the cello, but I didn’t want to lug it around. I don’t know why orchestra seemed to pull me, but that’s how I settled on the viola.” 

Parvin played the viola throughout middle and high school, participating in school and local orchestras. He knew he wanted to keep playing when he went to college.  

“I wanted to be involved in the music program,” Parvin said. “I was considering doing a minor in music.” 

The USU Symphony Orchestra is open to all students, including non-majors, so Parvin decided to audition in his first year. 

“I ended up getting principal violist that very first semester,” Parvin said. “That first semester, I was only doing mechanical engineering and playing in the symphony.” 

As he spent more time with the orchestra, Parvin got invited to studio classes. There he met Bradley Ottesen, professor of viola and chamber orchestra, as well as a violist on the USU quartet-in-residence, the Fry Street Quartet.  

Parvin said Ottesen invited him to take a lesson shortly after meeting. After the lesson, Ottesen asked Parvin if he’d be interested in joining the music program. 

“As I got to know Ian, it was clear how prodigiously talented he was — a truly natural musician,” Ottesen said. 

Parvin wanted to keep his engineering degree, but Ottesen convinced him to add music performance as a second degree.  

“I just felt weird dropping my engineering degree, so I kept going with mechanical engineering for two and a half, three years,” Parvin said. “Then I realized I didn’t like it.” 

After several classes, Parvin realized working for companies and designing parts wasn’t what he wanted to do. 

“I wanted to do something that seemed more impactful to me,” Parvin said. 

Parvin said the Fry Street Quartet helped him realize what he wanted to do. The group is well-known for sustainability work and bringing the climate crisis into view through their music. 

“The Fry Street Quartet is very socially-minded, and they want their artistry to make an impact,” Parvin said. “That shifted my thinking in the engineering world. If I’m going to do engineering, I want to be in a field that has a more meaningful impact to communities.” 

Parvin decided to switch to environmental engineering and got a scholarship through the Caine College of the Arts, which covered the four years of his new degree. 

“I ended up taking enough credits in mechanical engineering that I could minor in that,” Parvin said. “I figured it would work — the switch to environmental engineering — so I would get a couple of extra years to focus on music.” 

Parvin’s scholarship was through the Caine Scholars for Excellence program. He said one of his favorite experiences at USU was being part of the program and traveling to San Francisco to see the art culture in the city with them. 

“We went up to just a little bit north of San Francisco to a town called Boonville, which is where a composer named Gabriela Lena Frank has a creative Academy of Music,” Parvin said. “She takes student composers, a lot of whom are from underrepresented groups, and teaches them how to compose.” 

Parvin said talking with Frank about being an artist in the 21st century and how to use music to make positive impacts made him really want to pursue music professionally. 

“She kept telling me that she saw something in me that was hard for me to see in myself,” Parvin said. “That’s the most memorable experience that USU gave me.” 

Parvin said he loved being part of the string program at USU. 

“We have the Chamber Music Society of Logan, which brings in top-notch chamber groups that allow me to learn from some of the best musicians in the country,” Parvin said. “The program is so tightly knit, and it’s just been a great experience.” 

Dallas Aksoy, lecturer and director of opera in the music department, said she first worked with Parvin last year when he played in the pit orchestra for the production of “Sweeny Todd.” 

“Ian was our Caine College of the Arts nominee for the Bill E. Robins memorial award and a finalist for the university-wide award,” Aksoy said. “Ian’s talent as a violist with his unflagging work ethic and gracious character made him an easy choice for us on the music awards committee to give him the music. I’m not surprised that the college committee felt the same.” 

Aksoy said Parvin was one of the stand-out students in the music department, and believes he will achieve his goals, whatever they will be. 

“He is an excellent musician — he has achieved a high level of mastery on the viola, and I’ve always been struck by his mature sense of tone and precision,” Aksoy said. “His high standard of personal excellence and gracious nature will go far in providing him with many future opportunities and success in all areas of his life.” 

Ottesen said he enjoyed his time working with Parvin and is proud to see him going on to study music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. 

“This teacher/student relationship is one of the special aspects of the classical music tradition, and rare within today’s educational setting,” Ottesen said. “The future could lead any number of directions for Ian as an artist, scientist and citizen.” 

Parvin said he’s very excited to continue his education, even though he didn’t originally think it would be in music. 

“There’s something about music that’s just innate,” Parvin said. “What I’ve grown to love about music, especially since getting here and playing more string quartet stuff, like chamber music, is getting able to play with other people and make music together. It’s really, really exciting.”