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

Season Finale

Monroe Symphony Orchestra

Church of the Redeemer

West Monroe, Louisiana

Saturday, April 11, 2026, at 7:00 pm

PROGRAM

Semiramide Overture ... G. Rossini

Piano Concerto No. 1, S. 124 ... F. Liszt

    Allegro maestoso

    Quasi Adagio

    Allegretto vivace. Allegro animato

    Allegro marziale animato

Elijah Asmussen, pianist

Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73 ... J. Brahms

    Adagio non troppo

    Adagio non troppo

    Allegretto grazioso - Presto ma non assai

    Allegro con spirito

    

 

Guest Artist Recital at LSU

LSU College of Music & Dramatic Arts

LSU School of Music presents

Paul Christopher, cellist

School of Music, room 118

Monday, April 6, 2026, at 7:30 pm

PROGRAM

Composition for Violoncello Solo ... Ursula Mamlok (1923-2016)

I. Broadly 

II. Capricious 

III. With tenderness 

IV. With energy

Theme and Variations on “Draw the Sacred Circle Closer” ... Adolphus Hailstork  (b. 1941)

Cello Suite Variation ... Christian Wolff (b. 1934)

I. Tempo of Prelude 

II. Tempo of Saraband 

III. Tempo of Gigue 

 

Cello Variations II ... Charles Wuorinen  (1938-2020)

Other Monday, April 6, 2026, events:

12:30 - 2:30 pm Masterclass with Dennis Parker's Studio Class

4:30 - 5:30 pm Mara Gibson's Composition Student Readings

Tuesday, April 7, 2026, event:

1:30 - 3:00 pm Jeff Perry's Post-Tonal Class

Student Chamber Music Recital

Armonia String Quartet

LSMSA Recital Hall

Natchitoches, Louisiana

March 26, 2026, at 5:30 pm

PROGRAM

STRING QUARTET IN D MINOR, OP. 76, NO. 2:

“QUINTEN QUARTET”

FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN  (1732-1809)

Allegro

Andante o piu tosto allegretto

Minuet. Allegro

Finale. Vivace assai

STRING QUARTET IN C MINOR, NO. 8, OP. 110

DMITRY SHOSTAKOVICH  (1906-1975)

Largo

Allegro molto

Allegretto

Largo

Largo

Armonia String Quartet:

OSCAR ANDRES CARBALLO TORRES, VIOLIN
CARLOS DIAZ DEL VALLE, VIOLIN
RONALD ZALDANA SANCHEZ, VIOLA
JESUS A. CALDERON PENA, CELLO
SANTIAGO ROVIRA ORTIZ, CELLO

Recruiting in Tyler, Texas

Bishop Gorman Catholic School

1405 E. Southeast Loop 323

Tyler, Texas

March 24, 2026

Dwight Anderson, Orchestra Director

Guest Artist Recital at UNT

University of North Texas

College of Music

Recital Hall

March 23, 2026, at 6:30 pm

Denton, Texas

PROGRAM

Invocation for Cello Solo (1987) ... Mel Powell (1923-1998)

Sintra for Alto Flute and Cello (1969) ... Ursla Mamlok (1923-2016)

    With intensity

    Very fast

    Calmly

Cello Suite Variation (2000) ... Christian Wolff (b.1934)

    Tempo of Prelude

    Tempo of Sarabande

    Tempo of Gigue

Enchanted Preludes for Flute and Cello (1988) ... Elliott Carter (1908-2012)

Cello Variations II (1975) ... Charles Wuorinen (1938-2020)

Elizabeth NcNutt, flute

Paul Christopher, cello

Lagniappe Chamber Series Concert

Bayoux Arts Piano Quartet

Emy-Lou Biedenharn Recital Hall

Monroe Symphony Orchestra

March 19, 2026, at 7:00 pm

PROGRAM

Piano Quartet in G Minor, K. 478 ... WA Mozart (1756-1791)

    Allegro Andante

    Rondo:Allegro

Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 47 ... Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

    Sostenuto assai - Allegro ma non troppo

    Scherzo: Molto vivace

    Andante cantabile

    Finale: Vivace

Richard Seiler, pianist

Samantha Parker, violin

Evan Korn, viola

Paul Christopher, cello

Guest Lecturer at ULM

University of Louisiana at Monroe

Orchestration Class

March 18, 2026, at 11:00 am

Paul Christopher met with Dr. Mel Mobley's Orchestration class for a discussion of score reading and performance practices in 20th and 21st century works.

Louisiana Piano Series International

Master Class with Asher Ian Armstrong

March 17, 2026, at 11:30 am

Magale Recital Hall

Natchitoches, Louisiana

PROGRAM included

Ponce: Cello Concerto, movement I, Allegro Selvaggio

    Anselmo Mata, pianist

    Paul Christopher, cellist

Carnival of the Animals

Rapides Symphony Orchestra

Alexandria Zoo

Concert Pavilion

March 15, 2026, at 2:30 pm

PROGRAM

Carnival of the Animals ... Saint-Saens

    Chialing Hsieh and Michael Young, pianists

    Karen Riley Simmons, narrator

Aspiration

Rapides Symphony Orchestra with the Red River Chorale and Northwestern Choral Artists

Coughlin-Saunders Performing Arts Center

1202 3rd Street

Alexandria, Louisiana

March 14, 2026, at 7:30 pm

PROGRAM

Edvard Grieg - Piano Concerto in A Minor, mvt 1 

    Jose Luzuriaga, Youth Division Winner

Franz Liszt - Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major

    Elijah Asmussen, Young Adult Division Winner 

Aaron Copland - "The Promise of Living"

Randall Thompson - Frostiana “The Road Not Taken”

Frederick Delius - Appalachia (Ending)

Leonard Bernstein - “Make Our Garden Grow” from Candide

Masterclass with Cellist Selin Demeril

Saturday afternoon, March 7, 2026

Old CAPA Building, Room 219

Natchitoches, Louisiana

REPERTOIRE:

B Britten Cello Suite No. 1, Op. 72 (1964)

    Canto Primo: Sostenuto e largemente

Alejandro Restrepo, cellist

JS Bach Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009

    Prelude

Maira Avellaneda, cellist

J Haydn Cello Concerto No. 2, in D Major, Hob. VIIb/2

    II. Adagio

Jesus Calderon, cellist

Oliverosfest: A Tribute to Pauline Oliveros (1932-2016)

March 4, 2026, at 5:00 pm

Magale Recital Hall

Natchitoches, Louisiana

 PROGRAM of works by Pauline Oliveros                               

Sonic Meditation (1974)

     Professor Collier Hyams and students

Tree/Peace (1984)

    The Mystery of the Propagation

    The Growth of the Seedling

    Full Formation and Maturity of the Tree

    The Action of the Seasons

    The Magical Nature of the Tree

    The Death of the Tree

    Contemplation

    Carlos Diaz Del Valle, violin

    Paul Christopher, cello

    Karla Gonzalez Bueno, piano

Ear Rings (1995)

    Dr. Oliver Molina, percussion

    Peyton Johnson, percussion

    Caedmon Larson, percussion

    Walker Libbe, percussion

PROGRAM NOTES by Dr. John Dunn

Pauline Oliveros (1932-2016) was an American composer and accordionist. She was considered a central figure in the development of post-war experimental and electronic music and was a founding member of the San Francisco Tape Music Center in the early 1960s, where she served as its director. She taught music at the University of California, San Diego and Oberlin Conservatory of Music. She developed the practice of “deep listening” as a byproduct of her meditative training with karate master Lester Ingber. 

Deep Listening is an aesthetic form of listening to inspire both trained and untrained musicians to respond to the environmental conditions of solo and ensemble performance situations. It differs from hearing because it requires setting the mind to a receptive state, unlike passive involuntary hearing. Her work led to a new musical theory called “sonic awareness,” a practice of focused, nonjudgmental attention to all sound—internal, external, and imagined—to expand perception.  She used the “point and circle” model, where attention (the point) focuses on specific sounds while awareness expands to include the entire sound environment (the circle). Oliveros used these theories for sonic activism, a form of social resistance and a way to foster empathy in a fragmented world through collaborative, non-hierarchical music-making.

Sonic Meditations (1974) is a collection of text-based scores designed to foster deep-listening, community, and mindfulness through sound. They are intended for group-work, aimed to create, imagine and remember sounds to foster connections and change consciousness. These sounds include breathing exercises, natural tone vocalizations, and environmental sound conditions (listening to the AC, heartbeats, etc.)

Tree/Peace, composed in 1984 and uses improvisatory techniques to evoke the life cycle of a tree. Originally the work was performed by a trio (violin, cello, and piano) and uses the tree as a metaphor. Sound “branches out” based on the performers’ shared interpretation of a tree—whether a specific specimen or an abstract model of growth. The work consists of seven movements, each at a different point in the life cycle.

Ear Rings (1995) was written for four performers of any instrument or voice. Every few minutes, different duets perform together through six “Rings.” When a new performer enters, there is an overlapping trio of about a minute. During the transition, one partner of the previous pair stops playing and the new player establishes the new pair’s musical material. Each pair “should” have a unique sound. Once all the pairs have played together, there is a final transition into new material for the entire quartet. The final quartet should balance with the length of the six pairs. 

  

The Sound of Celli

Natchitoches Concert Series

Monday, March 2, 2026, at 7:30 pm

First Presbyterian Church

114 Bienvenu Street

Natchitoches, Louisiana

Program

The Swan ... Camille Saint-Saёns (1835-1921)

Alejandro Restrepo, cello

Mr. Michael Rorex, piano

  

Butcher’s Death ... Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992)

Maira Avellaneda, cello

Mr. Michael Rorex, piano

 Theme & Variations on “Draw the Sacred Circle Closer” ... Adolphus Hailstork (1941-)

 Mr. Paul Christopher, cello

 Cello Duet in C Major, Opus 22, No. 1 ... Friedrich August Kummer (1797-1879)

    Allegro

    Andantino