Biography
Dr. Michelle Kesler is Associate Professor of Cello at Brigham Young University. She has distinguished herself as a chamber musician and soloist in a wide number of performances in Greece, Luxembourg, New Zealand, NYC, Boston, Arizona, New Mexico, Iowa, Idaho, Florida, California, and Utah. She has performed with the Beethoven Chamber Music Festival in Park City, and has worked with quartets such as the Orion, New Zealand String Quartet, St. Lawrence, Takacs, Tokyo, and Brentano String Quartets.
Michelle has established a reputation as a national and internationally respected teacher having conducted master classes in New Zealand School of Music, International Music Festival of Luxembourg, Boston Conservatory, University of Northern Colorado, University of Arizona, Arizona State University, University of Iowa, California State University-Fresno, DePaul University, University of Nevada Las Vegas, as well as universities around Utah. Her students have found success winning or advancing on both national and international level competitions such as, Music Teachers National Association State and National competition, Aspen Summer Music Festival Concerto Competition, Brimhall Cello Competition, Osaka International Music Competition, and the Harrell Dungey Cello Loan Competition.
She is an active orchestral musician and has played with orchestras in Arizona, Utah and Hawaii. During the summer she has taught at The Vianden International music festival in Luxembourg, Montecito International Music Festival, and the Young Musician’s music festival held at Brigham Young University.
Michelle is passionate about new music and is actively commissioning, performing and premiering new works. She has premiered and/or commissioned new works with many composers including Raven Chacon, Jake Heggie, and Kurt Rhode, and is currently working on a commission with Michelle Ross on an interdisciplinary project collaborating with Dance, Media Arts, and Environmental Science, performing in Southern Utah slot canyons. Fall 2018 she was the National Parks Artist-In-Residence at Hubbell Trading Post and Canyon de Chelly in Northeastern Arizona where she premiered three newly commissioned solo cello works inspired by the area in the community and local schools.
As a member of ASTA, Michelle is also engaged and enthusiastic about music education. She presented at the 2022 ASTA National Virtual Conference on “Celebrating Diversity Through Inclusive Programing to Explore Voice”. She has also presented a lecture recital with the College Music Society entitled, “Voices from the Deep: An Aural Exploration of the Grand Canyon” featuring solo cello works inspired by the Grand Canyon.
Before joining the faculty at Brigham Young University, she received her bachelors degree at the University of Colorado in Boulder studying with Judith Glyde, and Andras Fejer of the Takacs quartet. She received her Doctoral and Masters degree at Arizona State University studying from Thomas Landschoot.