Biography

Cellist Jennifer Carpenter is known for her versatility across a broad range of musical styles and ensembles. She is a tenured member of Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and her past orchestral experiences include performances in the Juilliard Orchestra, where she served as principal cellist, Aspen Music Festival and School, where she served as a fellow in the conducting academy orchestra, Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, and Finger Lakes Opera. As a dedicated chamber musician, she has performed on the WXXI Live From Hochstein radio broadcast concert series, the Village of Brockport’s Winter Serenade concert series, and Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra's Living Room Series. She has also performed chamber music at festivals such as The Perlman Music Program Chamber Music Workshop, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, Bowdoin International Music Festival fellowship program, Orford Musique, and the Castleman Quartet Program. Additionally, she has given numerous chamber music and solo performances at Eastman School of Music, The Juilliard School and Oberlin Conservatory, where she earned Doctor of Musical Arts, Master of Music, and Bachelor of Music degrees, respectively. Her past teachers include Steven Doane, David Ying, Rosemary Elliott, Natasha Brofsky, Laurence Lesser, Phoebe Carrai, Darrett Adkins, Catharina Meints, Eric Kim, and Ellen Shertzer.

Carpenter is committed to bringing to light the works of underappreciated composers, both historical and living. Her doctoral lecture recital, "Synthesis of Western-Contemporary and Chinese-Traditional Musical Features in Solo Cello Works," reflected her own Chinese-American heritage as well as her deep interest in blending musical traditions. In her dedication to fostering an inclusive musical landscape, she and a team of colleagues are working on an innovative project, "Resonance: A Multicultural Cello Method," which pioneers a graded teaching approach celebrating the diverse cultural influences that have shaped American music over the centuries.

Carpenter’s interest in historical performance has been enriched by studies at The Juilliard School and Oberlin Conservatory, focusing on baroque cello and viola da gamba. She also engages with contemporary music, collaborating closely with living composers, premiering new works and performing with ensembles such as New Juilliard Ensemble, OSSIA New Music, and Oberlin Conservatory’s Contemporary Music Ensemble.

Carpenter's impact extends beyond the stage as a dedicated educator, mentoring cellists of all ages and levels. She is currently the Coordinator of Chamber Ensembles at University of Rochester and a member of the faculty at Eastman Community Music School and The Hochstein School. She has served as a Lecturer in Music at Nazareth College, and as a mentor and coach to students at Point CounterPoint, Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Eastman Cello Institute, ROCmusic, Juilliard Pre-College Orchestra, Kneisel Hall Program for Maine Students, and Wyoming Seminary Performing Arts Institute.

Carpenter holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree with Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music, a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin Conservatory.