Leading UK agent has died
mainHarrisonParrott has announced the death of Terry Harrison, its co-founder.
Terry formed the agency in 1969 with Jasper Parrott and a batch of young artists, mostly drawn from their former employer Ibbs&Tillett.
Terry broke out in 1988 to start his own agency with Radu Lupu, Sir Andras Schiff and a few others select clients. He shut the agency two years ago.
Where Jasper was brash, Terry was convivial and amusing. He leaves behind fond memories.
Lovely man and a fabulous agent. I wonder if he still had the sheepskin coat!
I remember one occasion when I was visiting London and Terry very kindly suggested I come and stay at his apartment. Having a couple of times reminded him of the date and approximate time, I duly arrived and rang the bell. Terry answered the door with a look of some confusion. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “I thought it was Jesus!”
It turned out that one of his artist clients was to be popping round for a short meeting around the same time – Jesus Lopez Cobos!
Terry Harrison and Jasper Parrott were a highly successful partnership and a breath of fresh air in a business which at the time was a a bit stuffy and old fashioned. Terry very successfully managed the international careers of Kyung Wha Chung, Radu Lupu, Riccardo Chailly, Jesus Lopez Cobos, Peter Frankl and many others. Terry went on to form his own company with his long term partner Helen Turner. Our thoughts are with Helen and Terry’s son Toby.
….and unlike some of today’s members of his profession for whom commission seems the be-all and end-all, he genuinely loved music and treated his artists ‘in loco parentis’…rest in peace!
Something he may have learnt from Emmy Tillett, from whose agency he emerged.
Back in 1985 when I started my research into the life and times of Andre Tchaikowsky, Terry was so helpful and sharing everything he knew (OK, maybe not a few things). Lovely, lovely man and he will be missed. Sending strength to Helen, Eve, and Toby.
Terry was the hero in the life of Andre Tchaikowsky, forging a carrier for a pianist/composer who didn’t want a carrier but knew, very well, that he needed a source of income. Endless problems for Terry and some funny stories as well but he believed in Andre as an artist and person and never, but never, stopped working for him.
You can hear Terry talking about Andre on this link that appears on the Andre website:
http://andretchaikowsky.com/miscellaneous/mp3s/study_in_contrast.mp3
And Terry is mentioned often in the free Andre Tchaikowsky biography (pdf file) on this link:
http://andretchaikowsky.com/biography/book/index.htm
A great loss…
you seem to “forget” that Jasper P started the break-up by depositing behind TH’s back the Harrison&Parrot name on his name alone!! And then installing his new office across the square, thus confusing people greatly as well as the postman with twice TH”s name on the same square. The nice and decent artists left H&P immediately and helped TH to start his own agency. But the Harrison&Parrott name stayed with Jasper P… Unacceptable and widely critisized behaviour. AK
Kaaraja you are so completely wrong about the breakup of Harrison Parrott that it is not worth replying. I can assure you Jasper Parrott did not want the breakup. Nor was the question of changing the name ever an issue, the subject was raised once after the break and it was unanimously decided that the companies name was H/P !!
Terry, besides being a first rate agent, was both passionate about and deeply knowledeable about music. I have fond memories of driving in Terry’s bronze coloured Jaguar motor car, listening to Ma Vlast, and Terry talking in some depth about the music. He was genuinely interested in his artists as people, not work horses, and doing the best he possibly could for them. Again fond memories of when Terry brought Chailly over to London, and sitting in Kingsway Hall for a Stravinsky recording. Both of them buzzing with energy and planning such exciting musical projects. Terry’s passing is most certainly a sad loss to the UK music industry, a kind man of great integrity.