He was born in Streatham Hill on 5th March 1916 and his mother, Muriel, was a violin Teacher. he was brought up in Harrow and was a day boy at Harrow School.
One of the most prolific and widely performed British composers of his day, Ian Parrott wrote opera, ballet, symphonies, concertos, string quartets and song cycles as well as choral and vocal works and even the themes music to documentary films
His distinctions included the first prize of the Royal Philharmonic Society for his symphonic poem Luxor, and commissions by the BBC and Yale University, and for many leading British musicians.
In 1958 his cor anglais concerto was first performed at Cheltenham Festival, and in 1963 his cello concerto was given by William Pleeth and the Hallé Orchestra – both concertos were conducted by Sir John Barbirolli (who also has Streatham connections)
He first studied at the Royal College of Music. He was a music scholar at New College, Oxford from 1934 to 1937, where he studied the viola with André Mangeot, and was awarded his doctorate in 1940.
He saw war service with the Royal Corps of Signals during World War II which took him to Egypt.