Karl Henry

Karl Henry is a cellist, bassist, and composer based in Boston.

Originally from Sioux Falls, SD, Karl began playing music at a young age, nurtured by a steady diet of diverse musical styles.

Inspired by the many ways musicians imitate sounds from other instruments, Karl incorporates fingerpicking and strumming methods borrowed from guitar and banjo players. He can be found playing his cello sideways about half the time at shows.

Karl earned his Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin Conservatory and later pursued graduate studies in the Contemporary Musical Arts program at the New England Conservatory. Whether as a bandleader, sideman, or ensemble member, he thrives on collaborating with exceptional artists. As a nationally touring musician, Karl performs with his bands High Horse and almost olive, serves as the cellist in Quartet Davis, and plays as a sideman with ajaeng virtuoso Yoona Kim and the genre-blurring group Acoustic Nomads.

Karl’s recordings include almost olive’s EP almost album, Quartet Davis’ album Three Lefts Make a Right, the contemporary chamber music album Hartke, Ogonek, & Jones: Chamber Works, and High Horse’s self-titled debut record.

In addition to performing and recording, Karl is a dedicated music educator, offering private lessons in cello, bass, and piano. He also leads group clinics that emphasize a holistic approach to playing across styles. He is a faculty member at Christian Howes’ annual Creative Strings Workshop in Asheville, NC.

When not making music, Karl can often be found procrastinating on a project or enjoying a hot dog.