Christopher Gilley began his musical journey at age four on the piano, studying under his mother, pianist Ariel Gilley. After seven years, he decided to begin learning the cello and quickly fell in love with the instrument. Christopher joined the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra (RSYO) in 2019, where he played for four years, serving as principal cellist for two. In 2022, he won the RSYO Concerto Competition and had the opportunity to perform Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations with orchestra later that year. Christopher is currently studying with Julian Schwarz at Shenandoah Conservatory.