Ms. Yenney seeks to create uplifting and inspiring experiences for herself and for her community.
ASHLAND, OR, August 26, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Kris Yvon Yenney, MM, has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Ms. Yenney is a distinguished cellist and music educator with an extensive career spanning several decades. Since re-locating to Ashland, Oregon in 2019, she has served as the artistic director of the Cage Free Concert Series, where she curates and presents a popular Ashland concert series, showcasing her dedication to bringing high-quality, international music to the enthusiastic Southern Oregon audiences. Her motto might be "Think Globally, Act Locally." Her series has attracted an array of world-class performers to the intimate venues where Cage Free Events are held. Whether playing the cello, teaching, or hosting fellow-musicians, Ms. Yenney seeks to create uplifting and inspiring experiences for herself and for her community. Her understanding of the healing powers of music is the driving force of her career as she finds fulfillment in supporting and bringing out the best in others.
A lifelong music lover, Ms. Yenney developed her passion for music from the age of eight when she began learning to play the cello. Her mother, who played the cello herself, passed her own instrument to Ms. Yenney while her sister picked up the violin. With unflagging support from both parents and opportunities to study from the start with Irene Sharp, Bonnie Hampton and Margaret Rowell, three remarkable humans and consummate mentors, Ms. Yenney's lifelong dedication to her craft has grown and flourished. Today, she has celebrated numerous career accomplishments, including performing, recording and competing with the New England String Quartet - invited to perform with renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, with jazz master, Fred Hersch, and taking music to hundreds of school children throughout New England as the Young Audiences ambassadors, positively impacting the lives of countless children through music.
Since 2000, Ms. Yenney has also been a pit musician and actors' coach for TheatreWorks, where she contributes her musical expertise to theatrical productions. Since moving to Southern Oregon, she has also landed a coveted spot in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's 2024 musical production of "Much Ado About Nothing." Her tenure at TheatreWorks and OSF (also Santa Fe Actors' Theater, Theater Schmeater, and Rhode Island Repertory Theater) highlights her versatility and commitment to the performing arts. Additionally, from 1990 to 2007, she served as the instrumental music directrix at four prestigious private schools; the Shady Hill School in Cambridge, MA and Sacred Heart, Nueva Learning Center, and the Woodside Priory School in Northern California. In that role of educator, she inspired and was inspired by many young pupils.
Ms. Yenney has performed as a cellist and vocalist with Broceliande, a Celtic and early music trio, since 1999, demonstrating her passion for both performance and collaboration. From 1999 to 2016, she was director for the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra's Preparatory, "SuperStrings" and Festival ensembles, where she played a pivotal role in shaping the orchestra's focus on chamber music and modeled lifelong dedication, as she learned from her start as a member of that very organization growing up. She has been a professional cellist since joining the San Jose Symphony and Midsummer Mozart orchestras in 1975 and has picked up the Swedish nyckelharpa, and bowed instruments from around the world to explore traditional music from Nordic, Celtic and Middle-Eastern lands.
Ms. Yenney's educational background includes earning a Master of Music in cello performance from the New England Conservatory of Music, in 1985, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in cello performance and theory from SUNY Purchase, completed in 1983. Post-graduate studies have taken her to Juilliard, Banff, Canada, Tanglewood, Meadowmount, Sabhol Mor Oistag (Skye) and India. Her academic achievements have provided a strong foundation for her successful career in music.
Throughout her career, Ms. Yenney has received numerous accolades. Starting early, she won the California Cello Club's Concerto competition for her age group (12); she soloed with the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra's Junior and Senior ensembles, she was selected by faculty for induction into Who's Who in American Colleges, and was the first woman to have won the National John W. Work III Composers' Competition. In 2024, she received the Great News award for her contributions to music.
Ms. Yenney is also committed to civic engagement. She has played for Ukraine benefits and volunteered as a musician for Beauty in the Parks, demonstrating her dedication to using her talents for social good. In her youth, she organized musician friends to put on a "No Nukes" concert - featuring both American and Russian music. She attributes her success to her willingness to embrace opportunities as they arise; she maintains an open attitude and balances taking her commitments seriously while maintaining a sense of lightheartedness.
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