Kelsee enjoys playing all styles of music! Outside of R4, Kelsee is a Chicago based freelancer, teacher and arranger.
Awarded a fellowship for her 2 years, Kelsee had the opportunity to train with world-renown faculty and artists such as the Calidore and Takács string quartet. Kelsee went on to receive a dual Master’s of Music Degree in Cello Performance and Chamber Music at the University of Michigan in 2018, under the instruction of Anthony Elliott (now Cello Professor Emeritus). It was there that she began to arrange music for strings. There, she spent 4 years studying with Jill Kaeding and studied songwriting, music business and management. Kelsee attended Columbia College Chicago, earning a Bachelor’s of Music Degree in Performance with a concentration in Contemporary, Urban and Popular Music.
Newly appointed music director of R4 as of September 2020, Kelsee Vandervall is a versatile cellist who seeks to further explore ragtime’s roots and how it has shaped the popular music of today.
