Praised for his elegance and dynamism on the podium, Niederhoffer — the winner of three prizes at the 2021 Khachaturian International Conducting Competition — stands out as a “charismatic, enthusiastic and articulate” leader, which, “together with his undeniable skills as a musician, makes for a winning combination” (New York Classical Review). He’s a confident and expressive communicator of music, context, and ideas; writing about his performance with Parlando of Beethoven’s Grosse Fuge, arranged for string orchestra, The Strad praised “the lyrical moments, [which were] played with shape and character.”

“Ian Niederhoffer makes good on [Parlando’s] motto: ‘Every concert tells a story’,” wrote The New York Times about Parlando’s program that featured Kaija Saariaho’s stunning violin concerto Graal Théâtre. “But smart, unusual programming on this level fosters a gripping narrative of its own, too.”

Niederhoffer has displayed a knack for curating unique and fascinating programs, through which Parlando audiences have come to expect and look forward to the delightful elucidations about the pieces. As a charismatic pre-concert speaker, Niederhoffer has a relaxed yet persuasive anecdotal style that takes inspiration from the stories and composers behind the music, and invites audiences to engage with curiosity in programs of widely diverse selections. The goal is to make all classical music feel familiar to the audience, no matter the composer, era, or style.

Recognized for making “the classical world appealing to a broad audience while also honoring the listener’s intelligence and curiosity” (New York Classical Review), Parlando provides the musical and historical context to prepare the audience for the music through lively storytelling and short introductions to each piece. This way, the group bridges the gap between audience and performer to deliver engaging and memorable experiences.

Highlights of Parlando’s 2023-24 season include a series of performances at Merkin Hall (Kaufman Center, N.Y.), featuring music by the late Kaija Saariaho, Jimmy López Bellido, Joey Roukens, and 20th-century masters Shostakovich, Schnittke, and Milhaud.

Every Parlando program is joined by a common theme that forms a larger story arc, blending standard works with new or underrepresented music. When Parlando performs rarely-heard composers or works, the goal is to feature them not as a novelty but rather as part of a thematic program; by connecting each piece through the shared theme, the concert becomes a story. Parlando strives to leave every audience member knowing more about classical music than they did before the concert.

Since the first concert, in 2019, Parlando programs have used Niederhoffer’s “chili pepper system,” in which each “♪” symbol represents a level of listening difficulty, like in Thai restaurant menus. Paired along with the conductor’s spoken introduction, the rating system guides the audience into an inviting and activating concert experience.

Niederhoffer has long been an entrepreneur dedicated to commissioning new music. Under his leadership, Parlando has commissioned new works by inti figgis-vizueta, Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate, Mason Bynes, and Anna Roberts-Gevalt. As a student at Yale University, Niederhoffer founded the Yale Undergraduate Chamber Orchestra, commissioning six new pieces and presenting a world premiere at every concert over his three-year tenure as music director. Yale honored Niederhoffer with the Wrexham Prize and the Joseph Lentilhon Selden Memorial Award for his “verve, idealism, and constructive interest in music.”

In 2021 Niederhoffer was named Artist of Promise at the Conducting Academy of the Verbier Festival, where he was assistant conductor for Lahav Shani, Daniel Harding, Antonio Pappano, and Gábor Takacs-Nágy. In 2019 and 2022 Niederhoffer participated in the Järvi Conducting Academy at the Pärnu Music Festival, an international conducting masterclass led by the world-famous family of conductors Paavo Järvi, Neeme Järvi, and Kristjan Järvi. His principal teachers include Leonid Grin, Toshiyuki Shimada, and William Boughton.