Christopher Parkening is considered to be "...one of the most brilliant guitarists in the world," according to his former instructor, the late, and legendary Andres Segovia.
Christopher Parkening's first guitar teachers were none other than Celedonio and Pepe Romero! When Parkening was still a young boy, the Romeros moved from Spain to L.A. where Parkening lived. After studying with them for awhile he was given the opportunity to perform at a competition in UCLA's "Royce Hall."
When the show was over, the composer of the music that Christopher had played, sent a tape of Parkening's performance to Andres Segovia, requesting a scholarship for him to attend Segovia's first U.S. Master Class. This event was held in 1964 at the University of California at Berkley and the rest, as they say, is history.
Christopher Parkening - Virtuoso Performances
However, fame has it's downside and the demanding performance schedule that Christopher had to keep up with began taking it's toll. Parkening finally reached a point in his career where he was burnt out.
He made a decision to quit performing and bought a ranch in Montana. All he wanted to do for the rest of his life, he said, was fly fishing. So, that's all he did. For three years, Christopher Parkening, the world famous classical guitar virtuoso, hardly ever picked up his guitar.
It was during this period of solitude and soul searching, however, that Christopher Parkening accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. This major turning point in his life gave him a new sense of purpose and direction. As a result, he began performing with his classical guitar again because, as he puts it:
"I am a Christian, and I read the Bible a lot. I desire to bring glory to the Lord in some small way with the music that I play, and that is first and foremost in my mind."
Today, Christopher Parkening is renowned all over the world for his solo classical guitar performances. He has played concertos with leading orchestras, performed at the White House and been nominated for two Grammy Awards.
On July 27, 1999 he gave a concert celebrating the 25th Anniversary of The Christopher Parkening Master Class which is held at Montana State University. I had the privilege of attending both the Master Class and the concert. I even have an autograph from Christopher Parkening to prove it!
Till next time...
Keep practicing!
