Mezzo-soprano Priscilla Porterfield performs at ASU Sept. 10. Photo submitted

Bassoonist John Heard performs at ASU Sept. 11. Photo submitted

Bassoonist John Heard performs Sept. 11
Bassoonist John Heard presents a guest recital Sept. 11 at Appalachian State University’s Hayes School of Music. Susan Slingland will provide piano accompaniment.
His performance begins at 8 p.m. in Broyhill Music Center’s Recital Hall. Admission is free.Heard will perform works by Giovanni Antonio Bertoli, Francois Devienne, William Grant Still and Bentsion Eliezer.
Heard is a former professor and chairman of the Department of Music at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
Heard has been a featured soloist with symphony orchestras in North and South America, Europe and Asia. He founded the Miami Wind Quintet and was the ensemble’s bassoonist for 22 years.
He has recordings on the Kleos, IMP Carlton Classics, ProNova, Mastersound, Antes and Irida labels.
An American Record Guide review of one of his recordings stated, “John Heard hails from the faculty of Miami University in Ohio, but judging from this recording he should be hailing from the Vienna Philharmonic. This is quality bassoon playing by any standard: lustrous tone, unfaltering technique, and intense communicative skill.”

Classical guitarist performs Sept. 12 at Appalachian
Classical guitarist Milen Parashkevov will perform Friday, Sept. 12, at 8 p.m. in Broyhill Music Center’s Recital Concert Hall at Appalachian State University. Admission is free.
He will perform “Introduction and Rondo” by Johann Mertz, his own composition “Evocation,” “Usher Waltz” by Nikita Koskin, “The Black Decameron” suite by Leo Brouwer and “Kouynbaba” by Carlo Domeniconi.
Parashkevov was born in Shumen, Bulgaria, where he started playing the guitar at age 10. He received a BMA in guitar performance from the Mozarteum-Salzburg, Austria, and an MMA and DMA from Texas Tech University.  

While a student, Parashkevov won several first and second prizes from international guitar performance competitions in the United States, Canada and Europe. Among them are first prize at the Texas International Guitar Performance Competition in Dallas, Texas, in 2003; second prize at Lachine Guitar Competition in Montreal, Canada, in 2002; second prize at Appalachian GuitarFest Guitar Competition in Boone in 2002; and first prize at the Falleta International Guitar Composition Competition in Buffalo, N.Y., in 2005 with his composition “Evocation.”
Parashkevov teaches classical guitar at Campbell University.