Yumi Kendall

Yumi Kendall is a distinguished cellist, classical music ambassador, and changemaker, whose voice and vision are paving the way for future generations.

Since 2004 Ms. Kendall has been a dedicated and deeply active member of The Philadelphia Orchestra as assistant principal cello. She won the position at age 22, during her final year of studies at the Curtis Institute of Music, where she now serves on the cello performance faculty. Over the past two decades, as a performer and pedagogue, she has inspired, informed, and connected countless people as a passionate proponent of classical music. More recently, as a speaker, podcaster, and graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) degree program, she has catalyzed conversations to help people and organizations thrive.

Ms. Kendall discovered the joy and connective power of music at a young age. She began studying cello at age five following the Suzuki approach; in fact, her grandfather was violinist and pedagogue John Kendall, known for introducing Suzuki education to the United States and training teachers from around the world. Together with her violinist brother, Nick Kendall—a member of the GRAMMY®- and Emmy-winning ensemble Time for Three—her childhood was steeped in delightful music-making experiences. The energy of her early Suzuki days remains an ongoing source of inspiration as she continues her journey as a performer and educator. She is forever thankful to her mentors along the way, including John Kendall, Nancy Hair, Carol Tarr, Alice Vierra, David Hardy, David Soyer, and Peter Wiley.

As an orchestral and chamber musician, Ms. Kendall has played on many of the world’s prominent stages, including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Kimmel Center, Suntory Hall, and Vienna’s Musikverein. She has performed with the Marlboro Festival and its tours, the East Coast Chamber Orchestra, and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and has been featured as a soloist with The Philadelphia Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra, among others. In 2013 she was selected by Philadelphia Orchestra Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin to receive the Orchestra’s C. Hartman Kuhn Award—given 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.” In 2022 supporters Elaine Woo Camarda and A. Morris Williams, Jr., established a Philadelphia Orchestra Chair in Ms. Kendall’s name and endowed it in perpetuity.

Ms. Kendall discovered a complementary career calling in 2011, after The Philadelphia Orchestra filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Eager to increase her knowledge and personal agency, she began investigating how other organizations grow and evolve in the face of struggle. Her quest led to earning a master’s degree at Penn’s MAPP program—the first in the world focused on the scientific study of the strengths that enable humans and organizations to flourish.

Since graduating from MAPP in 2017, Ms. Kendall has appeared as a guest presenter and facilitator at conferences, retreats, and other events across various professional fields. By bridging music and positive psychology (and often bringing her cello), she offers a uniquely engaging perspective on topics such as intrinsic motivation, cultivating meaning at work, and social connections. Captivating as both a cellist and speaker, she is known for her authenticity, ebullience, and approachable style in communicating about classical music.

Exemplifying her role as a changemaker, in 2023 Ms. Kendall launched the podcast Tacet No More with her longtime friend, Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Bass Joseph Conyers. Their podcast raises provocative yet optimistic inquiries intended to shake up the status quo and reimagine the next era of classical music. To date, the podcast has featured an array of pioneering guests from across sectors. To tune in, visit www.tacetnomore.com.