Introduction: Grace is a dedicated cellist and teacher, driven by a desire to share the beauty, creativity, and collaborative energy that have become her hallmarks. Although Grace has worked largely as an orchestral musician, she is constantly looking for ways to diversify her performance opportunities. In 2021, Grace began performing as the cellist for the national Broadway revival tour of "Oklahoma!" She has since made appearances on the "Hadestown" national Broadway tour as well. While living in Nashville, TN, Grace frequently worked in the studios, recording with Nashville Music Scoring for companies such as Netflix, Sony, Bungee, and Hulu. She has recorded and performed with notable artist's such as Carrie Underwood, Dan & Shay, Cody Fry and more. Since completing her Master’s degree in 2017, Grace has performed with many ensembles throughout the United States including the Nashville Symphony, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Alabama Symphony, and the Louisville Orchestra. Grace has also recently performed with orchestral festivals such as Lakes Area Music Festival, the Brevard Music Center, the Chautauqua Institute, the National Orchestral Institute, and Festival Napa Valley.
While living in Cincinnati, Grace performed with the Kairos Collective, a lively group of young professionals committed to bringing classical music to alternative venues. Through this experience, Grace became a Concert Nova Teaching Artist, further developing her interest in community engagement through music education and the intimacy of chamber music. Grace took this passion to Nashville, where she performed regularly with the Nashville Chamber Music Society, an innovative group with a parallel vision.
Grace is also a Suzuki Certified cello teacher. In 2018, she headed a project to develop a Suzuki Cello Program at the Northern Kentucky School of Music. Grace taught cello as a visiting faculty member at Miami University from 2018-2019, and privately in many music academies and school districts throughout the US. In 2020, Grace and her husband, Anthony Parce founded a chamber ensemble, the Juniper Duo. They recently recorded "Emerge," a video album featuring new transcriptions of classic favorites, works by emerging composers, and even an original composition. Since its origin, the Juniper Duo has performed for many concert series including the Chamber Music Series with the Nashville Symphony, the Nashville Chamber Music Society and others.
Grace completed her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Cello Performance at Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. There, she studied with Ilya Finkelshtyen, principal cellist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. She currently plays a Caressa and Francais cello, made in 1912.
Aside from playing cello, Grace enjoys acro-yoga, exploring vegan cuisine, and learning about women's health. She also owns an online fiber arts business, Forget Me Knots by Gracie. In addition, Grace is a software developer for a music business company in Nashville, TN. She recently moved to Stamford, CT with her husband Tony and their dog, Rupert.
Teaching Philosophy:
As an educator, Grace's main priority is to get to know her students as the unique individuals that they are. Building a solid foundation of cello technique is only the first step for a teacher of her nature. Grace strives to build supportive and inspiring relationships with her students, utilizing music to build character, artistry, and confidence. Grace is a Suzuki certified cello teacher, so many of her teaching tactics are based around the same methodology involved in language acquisition. However, Grace teaches students of all levels, ages and backgrounds. She works hard to develop a teaching curriculum relevant to needs of each individual.
