CELLIST | TEACHER

Cellist MaryGrace Bender pursues a multi-faceted career in performance,
recording, and music education. As a Suzuki teacher, Bender leads a full studio
of cellists in the Nashville area. Bender founded the Nashville Chamber Music
Society, which is a 501(c)(3) organization, and performs on a regular basis with
NCMS in schools, retirement homes, churches, and venues. As cellist of the
Zimri Quartet, Bender has the honor of collaborating with violinists Sarah Page
and Charissa Leung, and violist Tim Richardson. Most recently, Bender taught
and performed at Lincoln Center’s Restart Stages series as a faculty member for
BridgeMusik in NYC.
Bender regularly records in Nashville for scoring companies such as Sony,
Bungee, Hulu, and Netflix, and enjoys touring with local groups such as Harvest
Arts. She orchestrally recorded Mike Mill’s Violin Concerto and Philip Glass’
Symphony no. 3 under the Orange Mountain Music label which The Wall Street
Journal reviewed as, “impeccably polished.” She also performs with orchestras
such as the Huntsville Symphony, the Charlotte Symphony, and the Nashville
Symphony.
Bender’s extensive studies include a master's degree from The Cleveland
Institute of Music in Cello Performance and Suzuki Pedagogy, and an
undergraduate degree from The Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer
University. She has spent summers at The National Repertory Orchestra,
Meadowmount School of Music, The Rome Chamber Music Festival, Brevard
Music Festival, Chautauqua Summer Institute, and the Aspen Music Festival and
School as a New Horizon's fellow. Past influential teachers include Dr. Melissa
Kraut, Hans Jørgen Jensen, Julie Albers, Anne Hall Williams, and Dr. Felix Wang.
Bender lives in Huntsville with her husband Blake and their dog, Sunny.