11/10/2020 Christopher Parkening - Wikipedia

Christopher Parkening
Christopher William Parkening (born December 14,
1947) is an American classical guitarist. He holds the Chair of Christopher Parkening
Classical Guitar at Pepperdine University under the title
Distinguished Professor of Music.

Contents
Biography
Partial discography
LP
CD
Parkening in concert, Bovard
References Auditorium, USC, 1975
Further reading Background information
External links Born December 14, 1947
Los Angeles, California,
U.S.
Biography Genres Classical

Parkening was born in Los Angeles, California. His cousin Occupation(s) Musician
Jack Marshall, a studio musician active in the 1960s, Instruments Classical guitar
introduced Parkening to the recordings of Andrés Segovia
Labels Capitol, EMI, Angel
when he was 11 and encouraged his classical guitar studies. By
the age of 19 he had embarked on a professional career of Website www.parkening.com (ht
regular touring and recording.[1] tp://www.parkening.co
m)
Segovia has stated that, "Christopher Parkening is a great
artist—-he is one of the most brilliant guitarists in the world."[1][2]

At age 30, Parkening withdrew from public performances and recording seeking a respite from the
demands of a professional career and a chance to pursue his hobby of flyfishing. During this period
Parkening rarely played guitar choosing instead to focus his attention on his Montana ranch and trout
stream. While visiting his Southern California home in winter, a neighbor invited Parkening to the
Grace Community Church. Profoundly affected by this experience Parkening[3] returned to recording
and performing with a renewed sense of purpose. He then released Simple Gifts, an album of
traditional Christian hymns arranged for classical guitar. His autobiography Grace Like a River was
published in 2006.[4]

Parkening has recorded extensively for Angel and EMI Classics. He has been nominated twice for a
Grammy Award. Notable recordings include Parkening Plays Vivaldi featuring a selection of Baroque
concertos, Pleasures of Their Company with soprano Kathleen Battle, produced by Patti Laursen and
nominated for the 1986 Classical Record of the Year Grammy Award as well as the world premiere
recording of Peter Warlock's Capriol Suite with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.[5]

As an educator, Parkening has been instrumental in cementing the guitar's reputation and esteem
within academia. He created the guitar department at the University of Southern California in 1969,
when he was only 22, and he was serving as the head of the department when he first retired from

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public performance at age 30.[6]

During his famous sabbatical
from the guitar, spent mostly fly-fishing in Montana, he agreed to
found a guitar department at Montana State University, and he
did what he terms a "token" amount of teaching at MSU during
this time.[6] He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Music from
Montana State University in 1983.[7] He is currently
Distinguished Professor of Music and Chair in Classical Guitar at
Pepperdine University, where, in addition to his work with guitar
majors, he also teaches a public master class. In a 2013 interview,
Parkening said that he is retired from the concert stage and is
focused on his family and teaching.[8]

Christopher Parkening lives with his family in Southern Star in honor of Parkening, on the
California. sidewalk outside the Ellen Theater
in Bozeman, Montana
Partial discography

LP
The Christopher Parkening Album, Angel
In the Classic Style—Bach, Angel
In the Spanish Style—Albéniz, Angel
Parkening Plays Bach, Angel
Romanza, Angel

CD
Christopher Parkening – A Bach Celebration with Ron Ravenscroft and the Los Angeles Chamber
Orchestra (1990), EMI Classics
Christopher Parkening Plays Bach (1990), EMI Classics
Christopher Parkening with David Brandon – Virtuoso Duets (1990), Angel
In the Spanish Style/Christopher Parkening (1990), EMI Classics
Pleasures of Their Company with Kathleen Battle (1990), EMI Classics
Simple Gifts (1990), Angel
A Tribute to Segovia (1991), Capitol
Artistry of Christopher Parkening (1993), EMI Classics
The Great Recordings – By America's Preeminent Guitar Virtuoso (1993), EMI Classics
Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez; Walton: 5 Bagatelles with Andrew Litton and the Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra (1993), EMI Classics
Christopher Parkening Plays Vivaldi Guitar Concertos & Warlock Capriol Suite (1994), EMI
Classics
Angel's Glory with Kathleen Battle (1996), Angel
Celebrates Segovia (1998), EMI Classics
Elmer Bernstein – Concerto for Guitar – E. Bernstein – Albeniz – Marshall (2000), EMI Classics
Grace Like A River (2006), Angel
Christopher Parkening Collection Musical Heritage Society

References

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11/10/2020 Christopher Parkening - Wikipedia

1. Chappell, Jon; Mark Phillips (2009). Classical Guitar for Dummies (https://books.google.com/book
s?id=bhBlbXWY7jYC&pg=PA297&lpg=PA297&dq=Christopher+Parkening+1947&source=bl&ots=
gFydyceb7c&sig=ddsejKEMT9qa5Kdf9wfAJMekud0&hl=en&ei=8ntlTo6SCMvDsQKqh72fCg&sa=
X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CCUQ6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q=Christopher%2
0Parkening%201947&f=false). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. p. 297. ISBN 978-0-470-46470-0. Retrieved
2011-09-05.
2. Stevenson, Joseph. "Biography: Christopher Parkening" (https://www.allmusic.com/artist/q44872).
Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-07-09.
3. Parkening, Christopher, and Kathy Tyers. Grace like a River. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2006.
Print. p. 153.
4. Parkening, Christopher, and Kathy Tyers. Grace like a River. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2006.
Print. Whole book.
5. "Christopher Parkening Official Website" (https://web.archive.org/web/20110614232108/http://ww
w.parkening.com/cpbio.html). Archived from the original (http://www.parkening.com/cpbio.html) on
2011-06-14. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
6. "Classical Guitar Alive! Interviews" (http://www.guitaralive.org/parkening.html). guitaralive.org.
Retrieved 2015-07-08.
7. "Meet the Faculty" (http://seaver.pepperdine.edu/academics/faculty/default.htm?faculty=christoph
er_parkening). pepperdine.edu. Retrieved 2015-07-08.
8. "Master Guitarist Christopher Parkening on Segovia, Guitars, God and Fly Fishing" (https://web.ar
chive.org/web/20150710073632/http://guitarinternational.com/2013/05/14/master-guitarist-christo
per-parkening-on-segovia-guitars-godand-fly-fishing/). Guitar International Magazine. Archived
from the original (http://guitarinternational.com/2013/05/14/master-guitarist-christoper-parkening-o
n-segovia-guitars-godand-fly-fishing/) on 2015-07-10. Retrieved 2015-07-08.

Further reading
Parkening, Christopher and Tyers, Kathy. Grace like a River. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2006.
Brad Conroy interview with Christopher Parkneing, Guitar International (https://web.archive.org/w
eb/20150710073632/http://guitarinternational.com/2013/05/14/master-guitarist-christoper-parkeni
ng-on-segovia-guitars-godand-fly-fishing/)

External links
Christopher Parkening Official Website (http://parkening.com/)
Parkening International Guitar Competition (http://www.pepperdine.edu/arts/parkening/)
Christopher Parkening - Distinguished Professor of Music (http://seaver.pepperdine.edu/academic
s/faculty/default.htm?faculty=christopher_parkening)

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