Jesse Henkensiefken

A Kansas native, Jesse Henkensiefken is a cellist, conductor, and arts advocate dedicated to community building through classical music education. Equally at home on the podium and the concert stage, he is deeply committed to expanding access to high-quality musical experiences for underserved youth and to fostering collaboration, opportunity, and inclusive performance spaces for all. As Director of Choral Arts at Bishop Seabury Academy and Executive Director of the Mid-America Performing Arts Alliance, he advances a shared mission of creating accessible, inclusive programming for students and communities throughout Lawrence, Kansas, and the greater Kansas City metro area.

Henkensiefken completed his higher education at the University of Kansas, earning a Bachelor of Music, Master of Music, and Doctor of Musical Arts in Cello Performance. He also studied at the Park University International Center for Music, where he received a Certificate in Music, and earned a second Master of Music in Symphonic and Opera Conducting from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. In the summer of 2015, he studied at the Tchaikovsky State Moscow Conservatory under Anatoly Levin. His additional mentors include George Manahan, David Gilbert, Nikolai Uljanov, Paul Vermel, Leonard Slatkin, and Kurt Masur.

In 2022, Henkensiefken returned to the University of Kansas as Director of Sacred Music at the St. Lawrence Catholic Center. He previously served as Program Manager for Harmony Project KC, following his tenure as Director of Orchestras and String Studies at Kansas Wesleyan University, where he also held positions as Assistant Conductor and Principal Cellist of the Salina Symphony. His additional conducting credits include Assistant Conductor of the Manhattan School of Music Contemporary Opera Ensemble and Music Director of the Ars Viva Chamber Orchestra.

As a performer, Henkensiefken has concertized throughout Asia, Latin America, and the United States, collaborating with artists such as Clive Greensmith, Steven Doane, Zlatomir Fung, Paul Neubauer, Stephanie Chase, Christina Bouey, Tatiana Tessman, and Mark O’Connor. A Sorbel Award winner at the Mu Phi Epsilon International Music Competition, he has served as principal cellist with ensembles including Ensemble du Monde (NYC), Empire State Sinfonia (Brooklyn), Kansas City Philharmonia, and the Salina Symphony, and appeared as a substitute cellist with the New World Symphony.

His primary cello teachers include Edward Laut and Martin Story, and he has additionally worked with Yo-Yo Ma, Eric Rosenblith, Zuill Bailey, Peter Kondrashin, and members of the Kronos, Ying, Da Vinci, and Turtle Island String Quartets.