Acclaimed for her “wonderful, rich tone” and “particularly expressive and finely nuanced playing”, Noelle Casella Grand leads a varied and active career as orchestral cellist, soloist, and international educator. As concerto soloist, she has appeared with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Bach Festival Orchestra, Delaware County Symphony, Guernsey Sinfonietta (UK), Old York Road Symphony, Providence Chamber Orchestra, Pennsylvania Sinfonia, and Amici Strings performing a wide variety of repertoire ranging from Vivaldi to Korngold. As orchestral cellist, Noelle regularly performs with the Bach Festival Orchestra, Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey, Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Ocean City Pops, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and Opera Philadelphia as well as performances with baroque ensembles La Fiocco and the New York Consort of Viols. Most recently Noelle has been appointed Assistant Principal cello of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic. 

As an internationally active pedagogue, Noelle is in high demand as an educator both in the US as well as abroad. Noelle has recently been appointed as cello professor at The College of New Jersey, is a frequent guest artist at Lehigh University and the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra, and is cello professor at Bucks County Community College. She also directs the Grand School of Music, conducts for the Youth Orchestra of Bucks County, and is on the faculty of the Elizabeth College Summer Orchestral Course in Guernsey, UK. In 2023 Noelle was named the winner of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Music Institute’s 10thAnnual Ovation Award for her work as an outstanding music educator in the region.

Noelle’s private cello students have participated in both the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra and New York Youth Symphony, attained some of the highest marks on advanced ABRSM performance exams, and been competition winners for the Philadelphia International Music Festival, Youth Orchestra of Bucks County, and the King’s Peak International Music Competition. Her students have been accepted into the Manhattan School of Music, NEC, Mannes, Oberlin, Eastman, University of Michigan, and the University of Maryland.

Noelle is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music (UK) where she received a Master of Arts and LRAM Teaching Diploma with distinction. Noelle also holds degrees from Sarah Lawrence College and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. 

Noelle plays on a William Forster Jr, cello, c. 1811 London and. Luis & Clark carbon fibre cello.