A Kansas native, Jesse Henkensiefken is an advocate for community building through the power of classical music education.  Regularly concertizing as a cellist and conductor, he is passionate about breaking the barriers of underserved youth outreach, while creating performance access, opportunity, and collaboration for all. Most recently, he was appointed as the new Executive Director of Heartland Chamber Music, where he looks to continue their vision of creating accessible programming for kids in the greater KC-Metro area and beyond.  He is excited to align this work with his passion of leading the Mid-America Performing Arts Alliance. 

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Henkensiefken began his higher education studies at the University of Kansas where he received a B.M., M.M., and a D.M.A. in Cello Performance. He attended the Park University International Center for Music, receiving a Certificate in Music, and earned a second M.M. in Symphonic/Opera Conducting at NYC's Manhattan School of Music.  In 2015, he had the privilege of traveling to the Tchaikovsky State Moscow Conservatory in Russia, where he had further training under the direction of Anatoly Levin. His other mentors include George Manahan, David Gilbert, Nikolai Uljanov, Paul Vermel, Leonard Slatkin, and Kurt Masur.

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In 2022, Henkensiefken found his way home to the University of Kansas to engage as the Director of Sacred Music at the St. Lawrence Catholic Center. Prior to that he was acting Program Manager for Harmony Project KC from 2020-2022, and the Director of Orchestras & String Studies, at Kansas Wesleyan University from 2014-2019. He also served as the Salina Symphony Assistant Conductor and Principal Cellist during the same time. Henkensiefken has additional experience performing as the Manhattan School of Music Contemporary Opera Ensemble Assistant Conductor (2012-2014), and was the Ars Viva Chamber Orchestra Music Director from 2009-14.

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Henkensiefken has concertized throughout Asia, Latin America, and the United States, having performed alongside artists including Clive Greensmith, Steven Doane, Zlatomir Fung, Paul Neubauer, Stephanie Chase, Christina Bouey, Tatiana Tessman, and Mark O’Connor, to name a few. As a cellist, Henkensiefken was a Sorbel Award Winner at the Mu Phi Epsilon International Music Competition in 2011, and has been principal cellist for orchestras including Ensemble du Monde (NYC), the Empire State Sinfonia (Brooklyn, NY) Kansas City Philharmonia (Parkville, MO), and the Salina Symphony (Salina, KS). During the 2006-2007 season, he was a substitute cellist for the New World Symphony. His primary cello teachers were Edward Laut and Martin Story having also worked with Yo-Yo Ma, Eric Rosenblith, Zuill Bailey and Peter Kondrashin, as well as members of the Kronos, Ying, Da Vinci, and Turtle Island String Quartets.