Yumi Kendall, cello

Yumi Kendall joined The Philadelphia Orchestra in 2004 as assistant principal cello upon her graduation from the Curtis Institute of Music. While at Curtis she studied with the late David Soyer and Peter Wiley, both of the Guarneri Quartet.

Ms. Kendall began studying cello at the age of five following the Suzuki method. She made her recital debut at age seven, and, upon completion of the Suzuki method, continued to study for seven years with the National Symphony’s principal cello, David Hardy. At age 17 she made her orchestral solo debut with the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center, and she also performed as soloist in concert with cellists of the National Symphony in a tribute honoring Mstislav Rostropovich. Since then she has appeared as soloist with the Reading Symphony, Symphony in C (formerly the Haddonfield Symphony), the Williamsburg Sinfonia, and the National Orchestral Institute.

As a founding member of the Dryden String Quartet–formed while she was a student at Curtis with her brother, violinist Nick Kendall of Time for Three; their cousin, National Symphony Principal Viola Daniel Foster; and National Symphony Concertmaster Nurit Bar-Josef–Ms. Kendall has performed on the Kennedy Center’s Fortas Chamber series, the Reading Chamber Music Series, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Music at Penn Alps, and the Schneider Concert Series at the New School in New York.

Ms. Kendall’s participation in summer festivals includes Music from Angel Fire, the Verbier Festival, the Marlboro Festival, touring with Musicians from Marlboro, the Taos School of Music, the Kingston Chamber Music Festival, and Carnegie Hall’s Emerson String Quartet Workshop. The recipient of several awards and honors, she won first place in the Friday Morning Music Club Competition, first place in the National Symphony Young Soloists’ Competition, and the judges’ commendation award at the Johansen International Competition. Ms. Kendall was the 2013 recipient of The Philadelphia Orchestra’s C. Hartman Kuhn Award, which is given annually to “the member of The Philadelphia Orchestra who has shown ability and enterprise of such character as to enhance the standards and the reputation of The Philadelphia Orchestra.”

Ms. Kendall has served on the faculties of the New York State School for Orchestral Studies, the Philadelphia International Music Festival, the University of Pennsylvania chamber music department, the Brevard Music Center, the National Orchestral Institute, and as mentor in the Curtis Institute’s new Community Artist Program.