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Parker Welsh (b. 2002) is a structural engineer and amateur composer originally from Graniteville, SC. He earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Civil Engineering from Clemson University and now resides in Greenville, SC.
Music has been a constant presence in his life. His mother served as pianist and music director at their church, and Parker began playing trumpet in middle school—a passion that carried into his time with the Clemson University Tiger Band and Symphonic Band. While in college, he discovered a gift for writing music, first arranging small pieces for the trumpet section before moving on to full band arrangements.
Though he never studied music theory formally and can only play trumpet, Parker composes entirely by ear, relying on what he hears in his head and translating it into notation. His writing is deeply influenced by the music he grew up listening to: the symphonies of Mahler and Dvořák, the film scores of John Williams and Hans Zimmer, and orchestral and wind band voices of Brandon Stewart and John Mackey.
The Mighty Blue Ridge was the first original composition Parker began. While working on it, Dr. Mark Spede recognized his potential and encouraged him to compose an entirely new work for the Sing Me a Story Foundation. Parker set The Mighty Blue Ridge aside and instead wrote Crew and the Spirit of the Wolf, based on a story by a child battling brain cancer. That piece was premiered by the Clemson University Symphonic Band in November 2024. Afterwards, Parker returned to The Mighty Blue Ridge, completing it in early 2025. Its premiere by the Clemson University Symphonic Band in March 2025 earned high praise from Dr. Spede.
Following the completion of his graduate studies, Parker began work on his first symphony, Symphony No. 1: From Ashes, completing the work in four months while balancing newlywed life, relocation, and a full-time engineering career. Writing music is Parker’s creative escape and a source of immense joy, and he hopes his compositions resonate with audiences as deeply as they have with him.
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