‘Music at Messiah’ to feature oboist Parks, pianist Spakovsky

“Music at Messiah” on Feb. 16 will feature Gary Parks on oboe and pianist Ingrid von Spakovsky. (PHOTO/MEREDITH KILBY)

MADISON – For the season’s second concert, “Music at Messiah” will feature Gary Parks on oboe and pianist Ingrid von Spakovsky.

The concert on Feb. 16 will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Performers will join guests for a reception.

Messiah Lutheran Church, 7740 U.S. 72 initiated the classical music series in late 2013. “We at Messiah are excited to offer this series to anyone who believes beautiful music plays an essential role in our lives,” spokesperson John Shriver said.

“I hope this series will allow professional musicians to reveal things in the music and instruments that will inspire all of us,” Shriver said.

The program will feature lyrical music, focusing on British composer Michael Head’s. Head served as Pianoforte Professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London from 1927 to 1975. He is best known for art songs and choral works.

The concert also includes music by Claude Debussy, George Gershwin, Peter Maxwell Davies and Charles Sayre.

“This is an arts event. All Music at Messiah concerts are open to the public and are free,” Shriver said. “Donations, sponsors and program advertisers are welcome.”

Parks has been a professional oboist for more than 40 years. He earned a bachelor’s degree in music at Boston University and a master’s degree in conducting and oboe performance from Ithaca College.

Parks performed with the U.S. Air Force Band of Washington, D.C. and is a founding member of the Air Force Woodwind Quintet. In the Air Force touring concert band, Parks performed in most states, Europe and Latin America.

After 20 years, Parks retired as music director of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of Huntsville, which performed by invitation in New York’s Carnegie Hall three times.

Spakovsky holds a master’s degree in piano performance from the University of Illinois. She studied by scholarship at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria.

Spakovsky teaches at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. She also performs with the duo Consonare at national and international venues.

For more information, call 256-721-0041 or visit musicatmessiah.blogspot.com.