Stephen Arthur is an undergraduate cello performance major at the University of Tennessee Natalie L. Haslam College of Music, studying under Dr. Wesley Baldwin. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Stephen served as principal cellist for seven consecutive years in Tennessee’s All-West orchestra, assistant principal cellist for the All-State orchestra, and was a member of the All-National orchestra. Stephen has been a two-time prizewinner in the Tennessee Cello Workshop’s collegiate competition, the winner of the Tennessee Music Study Club Competition and the first-prize winner of the UTK Celebration of Excellence performance competition. Stephen has spent his past two summers at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival, where he was awarded a fellowship and recognized as the winner of the Jacqueline Avent concerto competition. Today, Stephen serves as the principal cellist for the University of Tennessee Symphony Orchestra and performs regularly in the Knoxville area.
Watch James Stephen Arthur perform Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor (Mvt III) by Camille Saint-Säens on the cello for the 2024 Autumn Music Competition as part of the Charleston International Music Competition.