Classical Concert Free and Open to the Public
Paul Christopher, assistant professor in Low Strings and Music Theory at Northwestern State University of Louisiana, will return to the Cherry Theater stage at Columbia State Community College to perform a classical cello concert on Tuesday, February 2 at 7 p.m. Earlier that day, Christopher will conduct two educational lecture and demonstration sessions in the Cherry theater—the first will take place at 11 a.m. and the second at 12:30 p.m. Both the performance and educational sessions are sponsored by Columbia State’s Lyceum Committee and will be free and open to the public.
The concert will include a variety of classical cello pieces by composers such as J.S. Bach, George Frederic Handel and Jacques Offenbach. “We are very excited that Mr. Christopher is returning to Columbia State to perform,” says Lyceum Chair Emily Gaskill, assistant professor of music at Columbia State. “Audiences of all ages will enjoy his down to earth presentation of classical music. Mr. Christopher’s experience as a teacher really shows when he introduces the classical pieces he plans to perform. He has a real connection with his audience, making his concerts enjoyable, engaging, and educational.”
Christopher, who received his Bachelor’s of Music Education from the New England Conservatory of Music and his Master’s of Music in Cello Performance from the University of Memphis, is Principal Cello of the Longview Symphony Orchestra. He also serves as Principal Cello with the Des Moines Metro Opera in Indianola, Iowa and is Assistant Principal Cello with the Peter Britt Festival Orchestra in Jacksonville, Oregon.
From 1989 to 2004, he was Principal Cello of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra and the Shreveport Opera as well as a member of the Premier String Quartet. Prior to these appointments, he was a member of the Memphis and Charlotte symphony orchestras. The latter included a summer tour of Poland, East Germany and the Netherlands.
Christopher has appeared as a soloist with orchestras in Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas.
He has appeared on numerous recordings as a member of the Nashville String Machine, a world-renowned recording orchestra, with artists such as Faith Hill, Ricky Skaggs, Bruce Springsteen and George Strait. He is currently recording the cello duos of Jacques Offenbach on the Human Metronome label.
For more information, please contact Lyceum@columbiastate.edu.
Columbia State is a two-year college, serving a nine-county area in southern Middle Tennessee with locations in Columbia, Franklin, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg and Clifton. As Tennessee’s first community college, Columbia State is committed to increasing access and enhancing diversity at all five campuses. Columbia State is a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents, the sixth largest higher education system in the nation.