A Decade of New Music

New Music on the Bayou 10th Anniversary

Louisiana Tech University

Ruston, Louisiana

Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 1:00 pm

PROGRAM includes:

A Tree Portrait ... Xu Zheng

I. Standing Still, a Tree

II. With Rugged Bark

III. Branches Reaching towards the Stars

IV. The Silence between Leaves

V. Drawing Light from the Eclipse

VI.  Thousands of Crescents

VII. As Growth Rings across Time, Year after Year

Paul Christopher, cello

Thursday, June 4, 2026, 1:00 pm

Biedenharn Museum & Gardens

Monroe, Louisiana

PROGRAM includes: 

Forget harmony ... Norberto Oldrini

I. Meditation

II. Piazzolla

Paul Christopher, cello

Richard Seiler, piano

Friday, June 5, 2026, 7:00 pm

Dixie Center for the Arts

212 N. Vienna Street

Ruston, Louisiana

PROGRAM includes:

Tempo, Terra, Trama ... Igor Leao Maia

I. Primeiro Tempo

II. Terra-floresta

III. Tempo dos sonhos

IV. Arvores de cantos

Lea Baumert-Patterson, flute

Katrina Clements, clarinet

Megan George, trumpet

Mia Detwiler, violin

Michael Capone, viola

Paul Christopher,  cello

Gregory Lyons, percussion

Diana Thacher, piano

Christopher Heidenreich, conductor

Saturday, June 6, 22026, 11:00 am

Black Bayou National Wildlife Refuge Amphitheater

480 Richland Place

Monroe, Louisiana

PROGRAM includes:

BayouLuminance ... Jeremi Edwards

I. Phosphorescence

II. Incandescence

Anne Maker, flute

Scot Humes, clarinet

Katrina Clements, bass clarinet

Wade Dillingham, alto saxophone

Samantha Parker, violin

Kathleen Crabtree, viola

Paul Christopher, cello

Jose Saavedra, double bass

Chris Heidenreich, conductor

Xu Zheng

 

Summer Music Festival

Renova Summer Music Festival

May 31, 2026 - June 13, 2026

New Castle in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania 

June 4, 2026, at 7:30 pm

Faculty Artists Concert

New Wimington Presbyterian Church

PROGRAM

G. Rossini, arr. Ouzounoff - Overture to ‘The Barber of Seville”

Malcolm Arnold - Fantasy for Horn 

Daniel Perttu - Three American Canvases

Alexei Haieff - Three Bagatelles for Oboe and Bassoon

Erno Dohnanyi - Serenade for String Trio, op. 10

June 5, 2026, at 7:30 pm

Student Chamber Ensembles

Pap Gelateria, New Castle

June 6, 2026, at 7:30 pm

Magnificat Chapel, Villa Maria Center

PROGRAM

John Corigliano “Voyage” for String Orchestra

Esther Ballou - Suite for Winds

Judy Bruce - The Awakening Dawn (World Premier)

Mozart - Symphony No. 40 in G Minor

Renova Festival Chamber Orchestra

June 11, 2026, at 7:30 pm

Faculty Artists Concert

Northminster Presbyterian Church

PROGRAM

Bohuslav Martinu - Promenades

Jacque Ibert - Two Interludes for Flute, Violin and Piano

Samuel Barber - String Quartet, mvt. 2, “Adagio”

Robert Schumann - Piano Quartet in E-Flat, Op. 47

June 12, 2026, at 7;30 pm

Student Chamber Ensembles

Stone Castle Abbey

A performance of quartets and quintets by the pre-professional festival participants at the unique setting of the Stone Castle Abbey in New Castle.

June 13, 2026, at 7:30 pm

Renova Chamber Orchestra

Magnificat Chapel in Villa Maria Center

PROGRAM

Giacomo Rossini - Overture to “La scala di seta”

Aaron Copland - “Hoedown” for String Orchestra

Bartok - Romanian Folk Dances

Trumpet solo pieces TBA

The finale concert of the 2026 Festival featuring trumpet soloist Joshua Kauffman from the US Army Band “Pershing’s Own.”

Symphony on the Square

South Arkansas Symphony Orchestra

Union County Courthouse East Steps

El Dorado, Arkansas

May 23, 2026, at 7:00 pm

PROGRAM

Orpheus in the Underworld Overture ... Jacques Offenbach

Pirates of the Caribbean ... Klaus Badelt, arr. Rickets

Song to the Moon from Rusalka ... Antonin Dvorak

Movie Spectacular ... Danny Elfman and Michael Kamen, arr. Bocock

Highlights from Frozen ... Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, arr. Krogstad

The Imperial March from the Empire Strikes Back ... John Williams

Eye of the Tiger from Rocky III ... Frankie Sullivan and Jim Peterik

Mission Impossible Theme ... Lalo Schifrin, arr. Custer

Star-Spangled Spectacular ... George M. Cohan, arr. Gordon

God Bess the USA ... Lee Greenwood, arr. Lowden

God Bless America ... Irving Berlin, arr. Healy

Armed Forces Salute ... Lowden

1812 Overture (Finale) ... Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

 

Storytime at the Public Library

Natchitoches Public Library

450 Second Street

Natchitoches, Louisiana

May 5, 2026, at 4:00 pm

Storytime reading aloud: Meow Cello by Kristen Halverson

Dianna Allen, Children's Librarian

Paul Christopher, cello

Low Strings Recital

NSULA Low Strings

Thursday, April 30, 2026, at 5:30 pm

LSMSA Recital Hall

Natchitoches, Louisiana

PROGRAM

 Adagio and Allegro, Op. 70 ... R. Schumann (1810-1856)

    Santiago Rovira, cello

    Dr. John Price, piano

Air from French Suite No. 2 ... J.S. Bach (1685-1750), arr. F. Zimmermann

    William Shupak, bass

    Karla Gonzalez, bass

Suite No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009 ... J.S. Bach

Prelude

Sarabande

    Jesus Calderon, cello

Sonata in C major, G. 74 ... L. Boccherini (1743-1805)

Allegro moderato

    Alejandro Restrepo, cello

    Aill Harris, cello

Sonata No. 2 in A minor ... J.B. de Boismortier (1689-1755)

Gaiment

Graciuosement

Menuet I and II

    Brad Powell, cello

    Paul Christopher, cello

Prayer ... E. Bloch (1880-1959)

    Macyn Lacoure, bass

    Karla Gonzalez, piano

Suite No. 1, Op. 72 ... B. Britten (1913-1976)

Canto Primo

    Alejandro Restrepo, cello

Concerto in A major ... D. Dragonetti (1763-1846)

Allegro gusto

    William Shupak, bass

    Karla Gonzalez, piano

Apres un reve, Op. 7, No. 1 ... G. Faure (1845-1924)

    Maira Avellaneda, cello

    Melissa Patino, piano

D'Fiesta ... Deiner Hurtado (n. 1971)

    Maira Avellaneda, cello

    Jesus Calderon, cello

Sonata No. 4 in B flat major ... G. Rossini (1792-1868)

Andantino

    Ronald Zaldana, violin 1

    Abigail Morales, violin 2

    Paul Christopher, cello

    Karla Gonzalez, bass

Family Day Concert

Wind Ensemble

Magale-Fredericks Concert Band

Magale Recital Hall

April 26, 2026, at 2:00 pm

Natchitoches, Louisiana

PROGRAM included:

In My Father's Eyes  ... Julie Giroux

    Paul Christopher, cello

 

Springtime Pops

Rapides Symphony Orchestra

April 25, 2026, at 7:30 pm

Riverfront Amphitheater

Alexandria, Louisiana

PROGRAM 

American Salute

Dear Enemy ... Nettie Chenaux 

Lincoln Portrait ... Copland

    Sherman Deselle, narrator

Colonel Bogey ... Kenneth J. Alford

Washington Post March ... Sousa

Andrews Sisters Medley

    The Victory Belles

Shoo Shoo Baby

    The Victory Belles

As Time Goes By

    The Victory Belles

Salute to the Armed Forces (Medley)

    The Victory Belles

1812 Overture ... Tchaikovsky

Old American Songs

Shenandoah ... North American Folk Song

Stars and Stripes Forever ... Sousa

 

 

Out of this World: a Journey through Grief

Tim Pursell, Junior Saxophone Recital

April 21, 2026, at 7:30 pm

Varnado Ballroom

Natchitoches, Louisiana

PROGRAM

Mai ... Ryo Noda (b. 1948)

Vignette No. 20 ... Remy Le Boeur (b. 1986)

Spiegel im Spiegel ... Arvo Part (b. 1935), transcribed by Tim Pursell

    Dr. Chialing Hsieh, piano

Outburst ... Chris Evan Haas (b. 1993)

Out of this World ... David Maslanka (1943-2017)

    Paul Christopher, cello

    Dr. Chialing Hsieh, piano

Graduate Collaborative Piano Recital

Victor Anselmo Mata Zepeda, pianist

April 19, 2026, at 3:30 pm

Magale Recital Hall

Natchitoches, Louisiana

PROGRAM

Sonata for Flute and Piano No. 2 in D major, Op. 94 ... S. Prokofiev

    Moderato

    Scherzo

Lennon Coke, flute

Dichterliebe, Op. 48 ... R. Schumann

Robert Cardwell, baritone

Sonata for Cello and Piano ... M. Ponce

    Allegro Selvaggio

Paul Christopher, cello

Despedida ... Maria Grever 

Lhareen Lazo, soprano

Master Class with Dr. Hsinyi Wang of Tarrant County College

Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 12:30 pm

CAPA room 219

Natchitoches, Louisiana

Master Class Participants included:

Jesus Calderon, cello

Suite No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009 ... J.S. Bach

Prelude

Maira Avellaneda, cello

Apres un reve ... G. Faure

Santiago Rovira, cello

Adagio and Allegro, Opus 70 .. R. Schumann

Alejandro Restrepo, cello

Cello Suite No. 1 ... B. Britten

Fugue