Shreve, Wixtrom to perform at Up River March 3

A singer and harpist who has recorded 16 records and been nominated for a Dove Award will perform at Up River Friends Meeting in Belvidere the first Sunday in March.

Amy Shreve will be accompanied by her husband and producer, Gary Wixtrom, who backs her on guitars and mandolin, for the performance March 3 at 11 a.m. The couple will perform a concert of Christian music and talk about their faith journeys at the church located at 523 Up River Road in Belvidere.

According to a press release from Up River Friends, Shreve began performing at age 5, playing the ukulele, guitar and piano. At 11, she began playing the harp.

After graduating with a music degree from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, Shreve went to Nashville to pursue a music career. After signing her first record contract with Sparrow Records, a Christian music record label, she went to work as a staff writer at Birdwing music.

During her career, Shreve has opened for Larry Carlton and Michael McDonald, performed at the National Religious Broadcasters' Praise Gathering, and worked with a number of professional musicians.

According to the release, Shreve's musical influences include the Counting Crows, Lifehouse, Oh Hellos, Evanescence and several Irish artists, including Enya. She and Wixtrom have incorporated folk, Celtic, and alternative rock genres in their music.

Shreve and Wixtrom perform at churches, universities and conferences across the U.S., Canada and Europe. Shreve has also participated in more than 200 conferences for "The Voice of the Martyrs," an international nonprofit organization that works to defend the rights of persecuted Christians.

A love offering will be received after the March 3 service to support Shreve and Wixtrom's ministry.