Grace Goeller Cello Instructor

Grace Goeller, originally from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is a student at the University of South Dakota studying Cello Performance with Dr. Sonja Kraus. At USD, Grace has been a member of the USD Chamber Orchestra, the USD Symphony Orchestra (where she served as Assistant Principal in 2024 and Co-Principal in 2025), Ensemble Zusammen, the USD Opera Orchestra, and the Cherry St. Quartet. In the spring of 2024, Grace became the cellist for the Belle Piano Trio under the mentorship of members of the esteemed Rawlins Piano Trio. Outside of USD, Grace has performed with the Christmas at the Cathedral Orchestra, the Cherokee Symphony Orchestra, and as a chamber musician for the Candlelight Concert series in Sioux Falls. Grace has also participated in various international music festivals, including Cello Fresno and the Fresno Summer Orchestra and Opera Academy (FOOSA), where she performed Mahler’s 7th Symphony at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, California. In 2022, Grace was a finalist for USD’s Concerto Aria Competition, where she performed the first movement of the Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1. Grace was also the winner of the 2022 and 2024 SDMTA Competition in the Collegiate Strings category.

In addition to her work as a performer, Grace is a passionate educator and is working to expand her private teaching studio in Sioux Falls and the surrounding communities. In Fall 2025, she joined the Sioux Falls Lutheran School music team as a cello teacher, providing private lessons to students as part of their music curriculum. Grace has also worked closely with non-profit music outreach music programs such as the Music Academy @ First (Sioux City, IA) and Harmony South Dakota (Sioux Falls), where she taught private lessons, led rehearsals and classes, and mentored young musicians.