About

Malcolm Parson is best known for his work as a member of both Turtle Island Quartet and Carolina Chocolate Drops. As a composer, he ​had his first break in 2019 by collaborating with Brian McOmber on the soundtrack to Little Woods (dir. Nia Dacosta). Since then, his film work has continued with projects such as Good Ol Girl, Ballet After Dark, LA28, Laying Flowers.:.Setting Fires, The Sentence of Michael Thompson, If I Go Will They Miss Me and currently Love Lizzo. As a cellist, he has performed on several featured films including Palmer, A Man Named Scott, Kingdom of Silence, Mudbound, and Blow The Man Down. Recently he was the string arranger for Spencer Zahn and Dawn Richard's"Pigments"and "Pele" by Luedji Luna feat. Mereba.

​​

In concert, he has performed with Somi, Kelsey Lue, The Eagles, Dianna Agron, Terence Blanchard, Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn, Yebba, PJ Morton, BJ The Chicago Kid, Victory Boyd, Paquito D’Rivera, and Cyrus Chestnut to name a few. He has appeared on The David Letterman Show with Rhiannon Giddens, 2018 MTV VMA’s with Shawn Mendes, and The Jimmy Fallon Show with Niall Horan, The Roots, and Salaam Remi. Recently, as a member of Turtle Island Quartet, Parson became Grammy nominated for 2021 Best Instrumental Jazz Album for their work on Terence Blanchard’s album, “Absence” featuring E-Collective and Turtle Island Quartet. 

 

Born in New Orleans, he moved to Atlanta at the age of 11 and began studying cello privately through Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s “Talent Development Program. He later earned his B.M in Contemporary Writing and Production from Berklee College of Music.