Eric Wicks, organist with Elisa Wicks, Baroque violinist

Would you like to kick off your New Year with some great music? First Christian Church is presenting organist Eric Wicks playing music by French Romantic composers César Franck and Louis Vierne, and contemporary American composer Dan Locklair. He will be joined by his wife, Baroque violinist Elisa Wicks, to play music from the 17th and 18th centuries by J. S. Bach and Nicola Matteis. A free will offering will be taken.

Eric Wicks has served as organist at First Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs since January 2013. Before that, he spent eight years in Pennsylvania as music director for Butler First United Methodist Church. He has also served churches in Ohio and Washington. He received both the Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Eric has also studied harpsichord, piano, eurhythmics, and early music performance practice. While in Cleveland, Eric joined Elisa in performing baroque programs at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Elisa Wicks received her Master’s degree in violin performance and Suzuki pedagogy from the Cleveland Institute of Music. She also studied baroque violin and served as concertmaster of the Case Western Reserve University Baroque Orchestra. Since returning to her hometown of Colorado Springs in 2012, Elisa has performed with the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado, is the artistic director of Parish House Baroque, serves as principal second violin for the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs, and is a frequent substitute with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic.