Welcome to Parkway Community Orchestra
Founded in August 2024 under the leadership of Dr. John Francis (Minister of Worship at Parkway Baptist Church of St. Louis, adjunct professor at Missouri Baptist University) and Dr. Sunghee Hinners (Teacher of Applied Music (piano) at Washington University), the Parkway Community Orchestra (PCO) is a volunteer ensemble of 18 talented musicians, ranging in age from 12 to 35, and playing cello, viola, violin or flute. Many of them have performed with selective youth orchestras across the St. Louis area and the state of Missouri, including All-State, All-Suburban, YPSO, and YPCO.
As a volunteering group, PCO wants to:
• Share the joy and beauty of music
• Make classical music more accessible to the community and
• Foster a greater appreciation for classical music
• Build a stronger community through music
• Create a supportive community
PCO is interested in volunteering to perform for a variety of events, such as:
• Summer outdoor concert series
• City fairs
• Cultural and holiday celebrations
• Retirement facilities
• Fundraising events
• Educational events
Current Repertory
- Amazing Grace (Hymn)
- Chaconne and Variations (composer: George F. Handel)
- Nine String Quartets: Various
- Happy (movie: Despicable Me 2)
- Royal Fireworks Overture (George F. Handel)
- What Wondrous Love Is This (Hymn)
- ‘Downton Abbey’ Theme (John Lunn)
Executive Staff
John Francis, PhD – conductor
Dr. John Francis is a native of Monticello, Kentucky and earned his bachelor’s degree in trumpet performance from Eastern Kentucky University, and a Master’s degree in Worship Arts from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, in Fort Worth as well as a PhD in Church Music, with an emphasis on Worship Arts.
John is the Minister of Worship at Parkway Baptist Church of St. Louis, adjunct professor at Missouri Baptist University, and directs the collegiate, MBURingers.
Dr. Francis’ trumpet playing has also been demonstrated in the 1993 movie, Gettysburg. He has written the book, Sound the Trumpet and has several writings and arrangements published by LifeWay (Nashville) and Cleff Publishing (Olathe KS). He has written academically for the International Trumpet Guild Journal (Trumpets of the Qumran) and for The Artistic Theologian (Eating Beauty: Book Review).
John is married to Kimberly Francis, a parent educator with Parents as Teachers in the Parkway School district. They have two married children, Madelynn Hendrickson, married to Jacob Hendrickson and Tristan Francis, married to Sarah Francis. He has three lovely grandchildren, Jael, Nava, and Talia Hendrickson. John has a blogsite for his research, biblicaltrumpets.org.
Sunghee Hinners, DMA – pianist, assistant director
Dr. Sunghee Lee Hinners is a pianist who has performed across Asia, Europe, and the United States. She has premiered numerous compositions, including piano concertos and ensemble pieces, in Germany and the United States.
Dr. Hinners holds a degree in piano performance from the Düsseldorf Musikhochschule, where she graduated with the highest distinction, “sehr gut.” She also earned her DMA from the University of Iowa.
Currently, Dr. Hinners teaches piano at Washington University, where she has also instructed group piano and musicianship classes.
A dedicated member of Parkway Baptist Church, Dr. Hinners has served as the church pianist since 2017. She, her husband David, a guitarist, and their two cellist children, Eileen and John, are active in the church community and worship orchestra.
Dr. Hinners is committed to sharing music within the community. As the assistant director for the Parkway Community Orchestra, she looks forward to working with the orchestra to bring performances to local outreach programs, spreading the joy of music throughout the community.