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All Music Guide:
Widely recognized as an heir to the legacy of Andres Segovia, Christopher Parkening was celebrated among the greatest contemporary classical guitar virtuosos of his generation. His prolific discography included The Pleasures of Their Company, a collaboration with soprano Kathleen Battle, Parkening Plays Vivaldi, an orchestral recording of Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez and Fantasia para un gentilhombre, and A Tribute to Segovia, performed on one of the Spanish master's own concert guitars. As a guest soloist, Parkening appeared with many of the finest orchestras in the United States, including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics; the Philadelphia, Cleveland and Minnesota Orchestras; the Chicago, Pittsburgh and National Symphony Orchestras; the Detroit, Houston and St. Louis Symphonies; and the St. Paul and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestras. The author of The Christopher Parkening Guitar Method, Volume I, a basic pedagogy book, he was also a world class fly-fishing and casting champion who won the International Gold Cup Tarpon Tournament (known to aficionados as "the Wimbledon of fly-fishing").
Wikipedia:
Christopher Parkening (born December 14, 1947) is an American classical guitarist.
Parkening was born in Los Angeles, California, and pursued music in part because of his cousin Jack Marshall, a studio musician in the 1960s. Marshall first introduced Parkening to the recordings of Andrés Segovia when he was 11, and encouraged Parkening to begin studying the classical guitar. By the time he was 19, he had won a number of competitions and was touring and recording extensively.
Parkening is recognized as heir to the legacy of Segovia, who said, "Christopher Parkening is a great artist—-he is one of the most brilliant guitarists in the world."
Parkening went into retirement at a young age and stopped public performances to live a quiet life, and pursue his lifelong dream of relaxation by flyfishing. Parkening rarely even played the guitar, and would not have come out of retirement if it was not for his religious conversion to Christianity. He believed that he could glorify God with his music, taking a page from the great composer J.S. Bach who said, "the ultimate aim and end of all music is none else but the glory of God." Shocking his fans, Parkening, in order to make clear that he was convinced that his faith was true and his life was changed, refused to play anything but Christian music. Instead of coming out with a classical album, he released Simple Gifts, featuring new arrangements for the classical guitar of many traditional Christian hymns. Parkening's faith has continued strong, and the story of it plays a prominent place in his autobiography published in 2006, Grace Like a River.
Parkening has amassed a great discography on Angel/EMI Classics. He has been nominated twice for a Grammy Award. A notable recording is Parkening Plays Vivaldi featuring a selection of Baroque concertos, as well as the world premiere recording of Peter Warlock's Capriol Suite with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.
Christopher Parkening lives with his wife, Theresa, and son Luke in Southern California. Each summer he teaches master classes in Bozeman, Montana.
He is a committed Christian and regards performance as an expression of his faith. Parkening is also a world class fly fishing and casting champion who has won the International Gold Cup Tarpon Tournament (the "Wimbledon of fly fishing") in the Florida Keys.
