Extended bio and performance history Described as "a very gifted musician, a natural cellist" by Yo-Yo Ma, Dale Henderson began studying cello at age five. By seven he was appearing regularly as a soloist with orchestras, and at thirteen made his professional debut with the Buffalo Philharmonic in New York. His principal teachers were Debbie Thompson, Mark Churchill, Andrés Díaz, Colin Carr, and Laurence Lesser. Mr. Henderson also studied and performed extensively with conductor Eiji Oue, who served as Music Director for the Minnesota Orchestra and the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra. Some highlights of this collaboration included solo and chamber music recitals at the Gardner Museum in Boston, and a performance of the Haydn Cello Concerto in C Major in Tokyo, Japan. Upon performing for Sir Yehudi Menuhin in 1992, Menuhin wrote: "I was expecting to hear beautiful cello playing from what Eiji said – and I was not disappointed." At Menuhin's invitation, Dale attended the International Menuhin Music Academy in Gstaad, Switzerland in 1993. From 1996 to 2000 Mr. Henderson completed his Bachelors of Music at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, and from 2000-2001 studied privately with Philippe Muller in Paris. Dale also participated in 2001-2002 in the Master of Music program at the University of California, Los Angeles. Mr. Henderson was the 1st Prize recipient of the Harry Dubbs Memorial Award, the Framingham State College's Christa McAuliffe Memorial Medallion for Excellence, the Leonard D. Wood Memorial Award, the New England Symphony Competition (Lasker Young Soloist Award), the Wellesley Symphony Competition, the Springfield Symphony/Musicorda Competition, the New England Philharmonic Competition, the Marlboro Symphony Competition, the Indian Hill Symphony Competition, and the Philharmonic Society of Arlington Competition. Mr. Henderson has appeared as a soloist with the Erie Philharmonic in Pennsylvania, the Buffalo Philharmonic in New York, and an orchestra of celli at the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival in Maine. In Massachusetts he has soloed with the New England Conservatory Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, the Indian Hill Symphony, the Marlboro Orchestra, the New England Philharmonic, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra, the Newton Symphony Orchestra, the Mozartium Chamber Orchestra (with Andrés Díaz), and the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Chamber Orchestra. Dale has performed solo recitals in Boston and throughout New England, and more recently in New York City as well. He has also participated in the Greenwood, Musicorda, Kneisel Hall, Aspen, Taos, and Banff music festivals. Mr. Henderson now lives in New York City, teaching privately and performing regular solo recitals. His musical activism project Bach in the Subways, which brings free classical music performance to large numbers of people who would otherwise receive no exposure to the art-form, has garnered international attention and been covered by such news sources as CNN and the Wall Street Journal.