Cellist Joy Keown Bedillion will perform at Northwestern State University Friday, Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.

The program will include “Suite No. 5” by J.S. Bach and Benjamin Britten’s “Suite No. 1.” Bedillion will do a master class for members of the NSU Cello Studio on the afternoon of Sept. 2.

Bedillion began her musical studies at age four. At 13, she was awarded the Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestra Quartet Scholarship to study cello with the faculty of Columbus State University. A year later, Bedillion was invited to be a part of the National Symphony Orchestra, a group of young musicians who performed in Carnegie Hall under conductor and composer Lucas Foss. As a 17-year old, she won the Blount-Slawson scholarship to the Boston University Tanglewood Institute for the summer of 2005.

Bedillion completed her Bachelor of Music degree at the North Carolina School of the Arts. Recently she was awarded a master’s degree from Louisiana State University. As a student she has performed for such world renowned musicians as David Finkel, Steve Doane, Andres Diaz and Alan Stepansky. In June of 2011, Bedillion was named as a Texas Music Festival Orchestra Fellow.

An avid chamber musician, Bedillion has collaborated with such renowned musicians as Christopher O’Riley and Dennis Parker. She also served as a founding member for the Aloha Piano Quartet in 2012.   As a cello teacher, Bedillion began taking students at the age of 16 and has been teaching ever since. She joined the staff at Grace Notes Music Studio in 2009. In 2012, she assumed part ownership of Grace Notes and became administrative director. Bedillion resides in Baton Rouge and performs in the cello sections of the Baton Rouge Sympony Orchestra, Opera Louisiane, Rapides Symphony Orchestra and Baton Rouge Little Theater.

For more information on the concert, call (318) 357-5802.