Christopher Parkening (1947-) has been one of the premiere classical guitarists for the past twenty-five years. He has received three Grammy nominations for best classical performance and he holds an Honorary Doctorate in music from Montana State University; where he teaches a master class each summer.
Mr. Parkening has inherited the legacy of Andrés Segovia, who was the father of the modern classical guitar movement. He continues to inspire and awe audiences around the world with his technical brilliance and musicianship both. Performing over 80 concerts a year, Mr. Parkening shares his talent and gift with everyone he comes in contact with.
Interestingly, Christopher Parkening's pursuit of the guitar was fueled by his uncle, Jack Marshall, who was a studio musician in the early 1960's. Then at the age of eleven he saw Mr. Segovia give a concert, and fell in love with the classical guitar. By age nineteen Mr. Parkening had won numerous international guitar contests, and was recognized as the true heir to Segovia's crown. A record contract soon followed, along with a rigorous touring schedule.
To celebrate his 25th anniversary with EMI records, his best performances from the past quarter of a century, were compiled into a 2-CD set that showcases his divine talent and musical insight. His rendition of Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez is my personal favorite. The set contains over two hours of the best loved classics for the guitar, ranging from Bach, to Mozart, to Villa-Lobos, to the contemporary composer Andrew York.
| Concierto de Aranjuez~345k | Capricio Arabe~128k |
| Evening Dance~130k | Sevilla~214k |
*Requires QuickTime 3 or 4.
These clips were posted with the permisson of Mr. Parkening, and are Copyright ©
EMI Music.
10/00
Mr. Parkening released a new CD, entitled "Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra". The concerto was written by Elmer Bernstein. Click on the Recordings link in the More Parkening section for more information.
10/99Mark Small interviews Mr. Parkening for an article in the September '99 edition of Acoustic Guitar magazine about Segovia.
10/98Mr. Parkening has just released a brand new CD. Titled "Christopher Parkening Celebrates Segovia", the disc not only contains pieces from Mr. Parkening's current tour season, but includes a 12 minute video of the life of Segovia! You can purchase the CD from CDNow.
8/98Make sure to check out the reviews page, for a review of the Grant Park concert, and the pictures page for pictures from the same concert.
I would like to personally thank Mr. Parkening's secretary, Sharon, for all her help and useful input.You can contact Sharon for any questions about upcoming concerts or, if you just have questions about Mr. Parkening.
