Paula Skolnick-Childress, Cello

photo by Christian Colberg

Cellist Paula Skolnick-Childress began her musical studies in Salt Lake City, Utah where she was chosen “Musician of Great Promise” at age fourteen and soloed with the Utah Symphony at sixteen.  She earned her Bachelor’s of Art degree from Stanford University, having been the Principal Cellist and soloist with both the Stanford Symphony and the Stanford Chamber Orchestra.  While serving as Principal Cellist and soloist with the USC Symphony and as a member of the USC String Quartet, Ms. Skolnick-Childress received her Master’s of Music from the University of Southern California.  Her principal teachers have included Bonnie Hampton, Gabor Reijto, Laurence Lesser, and David Freed.

In addition to joining the cello section of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in 1970, Ms. Skolnick-Childress has been the Principal Cellist and soloist with the Orchestra Piccola, a member of the BSO Chamber Players and the Festival Chamber Players.  She has participated in numerous music festivals which include Music at Marlboro, Ojai, Carmel Bach Festival, Casals Festival in Puerto Rico, and the Johanneson International Music Festival in British Columbia, Canada.  For twenty-five years, she has been on the faculty of the Peabody Preparatory program as well as UMBC.  Her premier performance of Vivian Adelberg Rudow’s international prize-winning composition for cello and computer “With Love” has been released on CD.

Ms. Skolnick-Childress is married to Hampton Childress (Associate Principal Bassist), and between them they have two sons, two cellos, two basses and three grandsons!