American cellist Anita Graef has garnered acclaim as a musician of "superb artistry" (Pasadena Now) who performs with "high energy and polish" (WQXR). She has appeared extensively throughout North America and Europe in concerto, recital, and chamber music engagements, establishing a remarkable artistic voice defined by her charismatic stage presence, versatility, and infectious joy. Her notable performances include Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert series, and Concerts from the Library of Congress, with features in Strings Magazine and appearances on WQXR, WFMT, NPR and more.
Ms. Graef’s recent concerto appearances include performances with the Louisville Orchestra, Arkansas Philharmonic, Riverside Symphony, and Miami Valley Symphony, among others. Highlights of the 2025-26 season include debut performances at Honest Brook Music Festival (NY), George Flynn Classical Concerts (CT), ArtsLIVE at University of Dayton (OH), Classix Festival (Romania), the Jefferson Center (VA), WDAV 99.9 (NC), as well as return engagements to the Driehaus Museum, Washington and Lee University, the La Grua Center and Green Lake Festival of Music. She has held artist-in-residence positions at the Taft Museum of Art, pianoSonoma festival and Lake George Music Festival, as well as a recent role as Emerging Artist at the Victoria Bach Festival.
Beyond the stage, Anita serves as Artistic Director for several organizations, including Tallgrass Chamber Music Festival and the Juliani Ensemble, bringing her distinctive creative vision to program curation, artist selection and overall strategy. As an educator, Ms. Graef holds faculty positions at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts and serves as Chair of Strings at Summer Music in Tuscany festival. Winner of the 2022 Gheens Young Artist Award and the 2021 American Prize, she is recognized for both her artistry and her reputation as a musician who is equally at home exploring traditional as well as contemporary works, along with a deep commitment to service, outreach and education.
Born into a family of professional musicians, Anita began piano studies in early childhood and took up the cello at age four, making her concerto debut at twelve. She holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance and a Master's degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
When not performing, Anita enjoys reading, cooking, crochet, weightlifting, long walks, exploring new locales, and is always in search of the perfect matcha latte.
Ms. Graef performs on a 1923 Italian cello by Ferdinando Garimberti.
For more information, visit anitagraef.com.
November 2025