Classical music, classic performances at Parker Elementary

Parker Elementary School is blossoming this spring with musical performances.

The American Boychoir will perform for Parker students on Friday, April 17, and in May, Parker’s own Advanced Chorus will sing with the Houston Symphony.

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Parker ES Chorus Director Marianna Parnas-Simpson, who served as the artistic director of the American Boychoir summer program from 2008 to 2010, helped orchestrate the visit by the Boychoir.

The American Boychoir has long been recognized as one of the finest musical ensembles in the country. It performs with elite musicians from around the world, from classical orchestras to pop icons, and currently operates under the leadership of Music Director Fernando Malvar-Ruiz.

Parker’s Advanced Chorus will be performing Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 with the Houston Symphony Orchestra at Jones Hall later this spring, after receiving a personal invitation from Maestro Orozco-Estrada.

The invitation came as the result of a lengthy and careful consideration of the finest children’s and youth choruses in greater Houston area. The 60-student Parker Elementary Advanced Chorus is the first public school choir to be invited to perform a piece of this magnitude with the Houston Symphony. Performances are scheduled for May 15–17.