About
Kendra Grittani

Kendra Grittani is a dynamic and expressive cellist known for her “authority, grace, and artistry.” With a passion for chamber, orchestral, and solo repertoire, she performs across Canada and the United States, bringing a fresh and engaging approach to classical music. She holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in cello performance from McGill University, where she studied with renowned cellist and pedagogue Elizabeth Dolin.

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A versatile and sought-after orchestral musician, Kendra has performed with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Hamilton Philharmonic, the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, the McGill Symphony and Opera Orchestras, and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. Most recently, she held a full-time position as section cellist with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony until its closure in 2023. She is currently engaged as an extra musician with the Toronto, Hamilton, Oakland, Monterey, and Stockton Symphony Orchestras in California and the GTA.

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An avid chamber musician, Kendra is the co-founder of Duo Thalia, a cello and piano ensemble dedicated to amplifying the voices of female and BIPOC composers. In 2024, Duo Thalia was awarded an Ontario Arts Council grant to tour an all-female composer program across rural Ontario. She has participated in several international chamber residencies, including the Trinity Alps Festival (CA), Music by the Sea (BC), the Zodiac Chamber Music Festival (France), and the Mozarteum Residency (Austria).

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Kendra is deeply committed to music education and community engagement. She maintains a private teaching studio and serves as a cello coach for the Young People’s Symphony Orchestra (YPSO) and as a substitute teacher for Enriching Lives Through Music (ELM) in California. She believes strongly in making classical music accessible and meaningful to modern audiences. Her concerts often combine historically informed performance with insights into the artistic and interpretive process, bridging the gap between tradition and today’s listeners.