Paul Erhard

Associate Professor of Double Bass

Email: paul.erhard@colorado.edu
Websites: http://www.amazingbass.net; http://www.atmicvision.com
Office Location: Room C133, Imig Music Building
Office Phone: 303-492-4918
Mailing Address: 301 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0301

Paul Erhard, Associate Professor of Double Bass, earned his BM from Eastman, and his Masters and Doctorate degrees from Juilliard, as a student of James VanDemark and Homer Mensch.  Dr. Erhard performs as a soloist and teaches internationally, has been a guest clinician at many double bass conferences in the USA and Europe.  He has been a judge for numerous competitions in the USA, Europe, and South America, and is the sole American judge for the 4th International “Johann-Matthias-Sperger” Double Bass Solo Competition in Germany, Nov ‘06.  In 1984 he won the Juilliard Double Bass Concerto Competition, performing at Lincoln Center.  He is principal bass of the Boulder Bach Festival, and was principal bass of the Soviet Emigré Orchestra, Albany Symphony, and Queens Philharmonic in New York before joining the College of Music in 1986. 

Paul’s pioneering efforts playing the music of India led him to form the double bass-flute-tabla trio Atmic Vision. The Atmic Vision’s 2005 USA tour culminated with the recording of their first CD, Expanding Horizons.  Atmic Vision will be touring the USA again in 2007, with concerts in Rocky Mountain region, and both East and West coasts.  Paul will present a lecture/recital on Indian and Western Classical music at the 2007 International Society of Bassists Convention in Oklahoma City.

As a jazz bassist, Paul is a founding member of the CU Faculty Jazz Quintet, was in Raymond Wright’s Jazz Ensemble I at Eastman School of Music, the Ken Morgan Jazz Unit, and for two years in the Munich Germany based EMPS Trio.  Paul and CU Professor of Jazz Studies saxophonist John Gunther have recently teamed up to form the John Gunther / Paul Erhard Duo.

Paul teaches Improvisation for String Players, drawing upon his experiences with Indian music.  He also teaches a rigorous orchestral audition class designed to prepare CU string majors for professional symphony orchestra auditions.   Paul coaches a variety of chamber music groups, and a jazz bass class.

Through The Rocky Mountain String Bass Festival, an event Paul founded and has directed since its inception in 1994, Paul generates statewide interest in the double bass among bass players of all ages.  The Festival has enabled his CU double bass students to interact with leading professional double bassists from the USA and abroad.  Paul founded and runs the Rocky Mountain Double Bass Club.