Cellist Maria Paula Casas began her music studies in Ibagué, Colombia, where she attended both the Allegro Casa Musical Academy and the Conservatory of Ibagué. She continued her studies in Bogotá at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, earning her degree in 2022 as a student of Iván León of the Orquesta Sinfonica de Colombia.
In January 2023, Maria completed a diploma in chamber music in a joint degree program offered by the University of Cartagena and the Conservatory of Bologna. As cellist of both the Obregon and Atula string quartets, she took part in Bogotá’s international Festiquartetos in 2018 and 2022, and the Cartagena International Music Festival in 2022 and 2023.
Maria performed in the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra’s Premier Orchestra in 2013 and 2014, and took part in the Hattiesburg Concert Association’s interdisciplinary arts celebration FestivalSouth in 2014 and 2015. She was a member of the Orchestre de la Francophonie 2023 in Montreal, and won the 2024 Young Performers Series competition sponsored by the Banco de la República, resulting in a solo recital in the Sala de Conciertos de la Biblioteca Luis Ángel Arango in August of 2024.
As a member of both the Youth Philharmonic of Colombia and the Youth Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra, Maria has taught and done outreach throughout Colombia, and has performed on tour in Switzerland, Germany, France and Italy. Maria is pursuing her graduate studies with Brooks Whitehouse at UNCSA as a recipient of the UNCSA/Winston-Salem Symphony Strings Fellowship award.
Education
B.M.Pontificia Universidad Javeriana