Niles Gunderson, cello, enjoys a varied international performing career as soloist, chamber musician, orchestral musician, and recording artist throughout North America, Europe, China, and Japan. His playing has been praised for its “elegance and ferocity” (New York Sun) and he has appeared in some of the worlds most distinguished venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Teatro La Fenice, the Kaufman Center, Guangzhou Opera House, the United Nations, Radio City Music Hall, and many others.
He has played under conductors such as Kurt Masur, Gerard Schwartz, and Valery Gergiev, and received mentorship from the American String Quartet, Richard Danielpour, Dale Clevenger, and Robert Mann. He is a passionate advocate of new music, premiering several works with the contemporary ensemble mise-en, including the New York premiere of Franco Donatoni’s Ronda at the Italian Academy at Columbia University.
On Broadway and in New York regional theatre, he was cellist for the original off-Broadway productions of Comfort Women and Interview, additional theatre credits include The Last Five Years, Cabaret, and West Side Story. He has performed with many popular artists including Sting, as well as on the soundtracks (and occasionally onscreen) of several major motion pictures such as Salt, Sex and the City, Step Up, True Grit, and others. He has appeared at the Venice Biennale, in the New York Fringe Festival, and at New York Fashion Week. Niles earned his Bachelor of Music at the Manhattan School of Music and continued his studies in Italy at La Scuola di Musica di Fiesole. His major teachers include Marianne Chen, Alan Stepansky, and Raymond Davis. Summer festivals include Bowdoin International Music Festival, Tanglewood, and the Texas Music Festival. He currently resides in Los Angeles and plays a modern instrument by Jason Viseltear, New York City.