American cellist Anita Graef has been hailed as a musician of “superb artistry” (Pasadena Now) who performs with “high energy and polish” (WQXR). She has appeared throughout North America and Europe in concerto, recital, and chamber-music engagements, bringing a charismatic stage presence, versatility, and infectious joy to a remarkable artistic voice. Her 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 on WQXR, WFMT, and NPR.

Graef’s recent concerto appearances include performances with the Louisville Orchestra, Arkansas Philharmonic, Riverside Symphony, and Miami Valley Symphony. Highlights of the 2025-26 season include debuts at the Honest Brook Music Festival, ArtsLIVE at the University of Dayton, the Classix Festival in Romania, and the Jefferson Center in Virginia, along with return engagements to the Driehaus Museum, Washington and Lee University, and the Green Lake Festival of Music. She has held artist-in-residence positions at the Taft Museum of Art, the pianoSonoma festival, and the Lake George Music Festival, and was recently an Emerging Artist at the Victoria Bach Festival.

Beyond the stage, Graef serves as Artistic Director of the Tallgrass Chamber Music Festival and the Juliani Ensemble, shaping their programming and artistic vision. She holds a faculty position at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts and chairs the strings program at the Summer Music in Tuscany festival. Winner of the 2022 Gheens Young Artist Award and the 2021 American Prize, she is equally at home in traditional and contemporary repertoire and is known for her deep commitment to outreach and education.

Born into a family of professional musicians, Graef began piano in early childhood, took up the cello at age four, and made her concerto debut at twelve. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance and a master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She performs on a 1923 cello by the Italian maker Ferdinando Garimberti. Away from music, she enjoys reading, cooking, crochet, weightlifting, and the search for the perfect matcha latte. For more information, visit anitagraef.com.