We had the good fortune of connecting with Joseph Kuipers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joseph, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Curiosity and creation of beauty are two of my core values. Over the course of my life I have been fortunate to perform and study in many of the great music centers around the world. I did my undergraduate at New England Conservatory in Boston, then I spent most of my 20s in Europe, studying in Germany and Switzerland. I wanted to bring this culture of fresh, expressive music making to Dallas, Texas.

Texas Cellos was created in the fall of 2020 from a genuine hunger for in-person music making. I wanted to create a musical outlet to push back against the general apathy growing among my colleagues and students and decided to found a cello choir to share the beauty of the CELLO!

Born from a true need for live socially distanced concerts in April of 2021 the Texas Cellos took the $11,000 tuition from 33 cello students and founded MUSIC@MILL Festival: ‘Music that gives you a heartbeat in an old industrial space’.

Since then Music@Mill has presented four festivals showcasing genre defying artists including jazz artists Scott and Toni Tixier, the Miro and Escher String Quartets, and the Texas Cellos performing Beatles, Radiohead and Metallica to sold out audiences selling nearly 5000 tickets in 16 concerts.

In line with our mission to advance music and cello playing throughout the world, in 2021 Texas Cellos founded an educational institute, Texas Cello School  a self-sufficient school welcoming musicians to come and focus, create and grow. Now in its third season the institute draws students and faculty from across the world to McKinney, TX to share a time of learning and musical discovery where professionals and students perform side by side.

Our newest venture is a conductor-less chamber orchestra. On July 9, 2023 Texas Cellos will debut ‘Metamorphosis Dallas’ as the opening concert for Basically Beethoven Festival in Moody Performance Hall. The chamber orchestra will be democratic, with rotating principal players. Members of the chamber orchestra are musicians from the leading Dallas, and Ft Worth orchestras, respected chamber musicians and international prize winners.

To attract more international talent and to put us on the map around the globe, in 2024 Texas Cellos will launch the Texas Cello Grand Prix International Competition, a high-level event open to cellists of all nationalities aged 16–30 attracting world class talent from across the globe.

TEXAS CELLOS™ is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and it exists to give back to the community by inspiring and cultivating excellence in youth through music education, ensemble building, and through performance opportunities.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Music and cello are a means for me to connect with people. My career is an interesting mixture of teaching, performing, and now directing the Texas Cellos with its sub organizations- Texas Cello School, Music@Mill Festival, Texas Cello Grand Prix and Metamorphosis Dallas Chamber Orchestra.

We learn much more from failure than from success, and I have had my fair share of learning experiences.

In all of my professional roles, I am firmly committed to the idea that each person is an individual and deserves to be treated uniquely. It’s crucial for me to adjust my teaching method and approach to each individual. My most basic goal is that each and every person will love music. I believe that the things we give most to are the things we most love, so I encourage a lot of curiosity, determination, and focus on studies. I believe most people do not need to be told they are not good. Most know this on some level already. What they need to be told is –‘You can do it, here’s how to do it, now- let’s do it together!’


If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite places are small, easily unnoticed, mom and pop shops that have ambience and great quality. Lonesome Dove in Ft Worth is one of my all-time favorites- the Rattlesnake appetizer is a must try! Sushi Sake in Richardson, has phenomenal sushi. For a spiritual worship experience, Christ Church Plano is one of the most beautiful places I know.


Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
All the students, guest artists, faculty, audience, and volunteers who have together made Texas Cellos a very special organization.

Website: https://josephkuipers.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josephkuipers/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephkuipers

Twitter: https://twitter.com/josephkuipers

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JosephKuipers

Image Credits
I own all pictures.

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