Paul Erhard

About Paul

Professor of double bass Paul Erhard’s performances include solo recitals, concertos, orchestra, chamber music, jazz, improvised raga music of India, and solo improvisations. His recitals feature traditional solo works, commissioned new works, chamber music, and improvisation. As a concerto soloist, Erhard premiered in February 2020 the L. Subramaniam Double Concerto for Violin and Double Bass with Dr. L. Subramaniam, violin, and the Colorado University Symphony Orchestra with Gary Lewis as conductor. He also recently performed the Nino Rota Divertimento Concertante double bass concerto with four orchestras in Colorado and Washington. As the winner of the 1984 Juilliard Double Bass Concerto Competition, Erhard performed the Virgil Mortari Double Bass Concerto at Lincoln Center in New York City with conductor Isaiah Jackson.

Erhard has served as a jury member for prestigious solo competitions including the 1st, 2nd, and 4th Johann-Matthias-Sperger Solo Competition in Germany, the 2017 and 2011 International Double Bass Solo Competition in Markneukirchen, Germany, and the International Society of Bassists Senior Solo Division in 2011. He has given master classes at many schools including Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Cleveland Institute of Music, Indiana University, The Juilliard School, University of Michigan, Peabody Conservatory, and music schools in Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Singapore, Slovakia, and Spain.

Currently principal double bass of the ProMusica Colorado Chamber Orchestra and for decades the principal bass of the Boulder Bach Festival, Erhard was also principal bass of the Soviet Émigré Orchestra, the Albany Symphony and Queens Philharmonic in New York, and assistant principal bass of the Kalamazoo Symphony prior to joining the CU College of Music. In addition, he spent summers performing with the Colorado Music Festival and Teton Music Festival, along with attending Aspen Music Festival, Yale Norfolk Summer Program, and the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors.

Erhard earned his masters and doctoral degrees from The Juilliard School, his bachelors from Eastman School of Music, and also studied for two years in Germany at the Munich Music Hochschule.