Bios.
About The Wires.
The Wires are a modern exploration in string sound. Created in Kansas City, Missouri, Laurel Morgan Parks, violin, and Sascha Groschang, cello, have been composing dynamic and cinematic music as best friends since 2009. Their music is inspired by imagery found in the natural world, folk styles and modern string techniques. Following their debut album in 2012, their 2nd album “Wilder” (May 2019) is an imagined journey that includes depths of the oceanic world, the vast expanse of Celtic hills, the coldness of frozen tundra and a discovery of the cosmos. Their holiday album, “Winter” (December 2020) encompasses a cinematic, yet an intimate timbre, with the classic sounds of the season. “Winter,” their collection of holiday favorites arranged by The Wires along with their original piece, ‘Campbell Street,’ is published by Mel Bay Publications. The Wires are also the hosts and curators of “Sound Currents” on 91.9 Classical KC – a weekly radio program that explores and discovers a broad range of new music. Their online school, “Fiddle Life,” (www.fiddlelife.com), teaches adults traditional styles at beginner and intermediate levels. The duo performs at festivals, concert halls, and music venues in the Midwest and beyond.
To Order the sheet music to “Winter,” visit: https://www.melbay.com/Products/31037M/winter–folk-carols-for-violin-and-cello.aspx.
Sascha Groschang
Sascha Groschang, cellist, has performed extensively across the United States, Europe and Asia. She has appeared at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall numerous times, and gave her solo debut recital at Carnegie Hall in 2009. She has been a soloist and lecturer at the Thailand International Composition Festival, performed for the King of Malaysia with the Kuala Lumpur International Festival Orchestra, and traveled all across China on two tours with the Mantovani Pops Orchestra. She has shared the stage with artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, The Eagles, Vince Gill, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Michael Bublé, Peter Gabriel, Josh Groban, Sarah Mclachlan, Idina Menzel, Amy Grant and her recording credits include NBC, Atlantic, and Rhino Records.
Besides her work with The Wires, Sascha is principal cellist of NewEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, KC’s professional new music ensemble, dedicated to playing the works of living composers. In 2022, she joined the St. Petersburg String Quartet. Their accolades include a Grammy nomination, "Best Record" honors in both Stereo Review and Gramophone, a five-year residency at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and hundreds of concerts on many of North America, Europe and Asia's most prestigious series and festivals. In the past year, the quartet has played concerts in Israel, Estonia, Germany, France, Kazakhstan, and the United States. In 2023, she also joined the Fountain City String Quartet, which performs across the midwest with classical and pop-crossover Candlelight Concerts. Sascha lives in midtown Kansas City with her husband, four Persian cats and two daughters.
For more information on Sascha’s current projects, please visit www.cellolady.com.
Laurel Parks
Laurel Morgan has been playing the violin for 25 years. She has shared the stage with Midori, Pepe Ramero, Sharon Isbin, Nadja Salerno-Sonneberg, and has been a featured musician for the United States Department of Labor. She has also performed with the Des Moines Symphony, Quixotic fusion ensemble, Musical Theatre Heritage at the Off-Center Theatre (Kansas City) and is a member of folk-rock band, ‘In the Pines”. As a member of ‘In the Pines’, Ms. Morgan has toured throughout Germany and Austria, has music featured in the film ’72 Musicians’ and has won several Pitch music awards. As a graduate of the University of Missouri – Kansas City Conservatory of Music, Ms. Morgan has received prizes and scholarships from the Lincoln Symphony and UMKC Conservatory. Ms. Morgan is a former faculty member of the Cottey College department of music.