Mykel McDonald

Mykel Hinkie-McDonald is a cellist and teacher originally from Lubbock, Texas. She received both her Master of Music and Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance from Texas Tech University, where she studied under Jeffrey Lastrapes. During her graduate studies at Texas Tech, Mykel served as the principal cellist for the University Symphony Orchestra and Opera Orchestra under the baton of Lanfranco Marcelletti Jr.

Mrs. McDonald is an avid chamber musician and was a member of the Graduate String Quartet at Texas Tech, Cuarteto Gobiz, which gave regular performances and recitals of demanding programs throughout the Lubbock area. For two years, Mykel attended the Hot Springs Music Festival in Arkansas, where she was selected to perform Shostakovich’s “String Quartet No. 7 in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 108” and Mozart’s “Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, K. 478”, respectively.

As an undergraduate, Mykel was selected to perform Kathryn Mishell’s “Piano Trio No. 2” in an all-women composers’ recital at Texas Tech University with Annie Chalex Boyle, violin and Dr. Nataliya Sukhina, piano. In addition to her orchestra and chamber music experience, Mrs. McDonald played in the Texas Tech Contemporary Music Ensemble, where she performed works by composers such as Philip Glass, Terry Riley, Viet Cuong, Alex Shapiro, and D.J. Sparr.

Mrs. McDonald has played as a substitute cellist in orchestras throughout the West Texas area, including the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, Lubbock Chamber Orchestra, Amarillo Symphony, Chamber Music Amarillo, and Abilene Philharmonic. She has played under the batons of David Cho, David Itkin, Philip Mann, and Lanfranco Marcelletti Jr. Mykel has also performed in masterclasses for Zuill Bailey, Amit Peled, the Cassatt String Quartet, and John Corigliano.

Mykel has been involved in several recording projects, including James Stephenson’s “Concerto for Hope: Concerto No. 3 for Trumpet and Orchestra” on the album Rise Above (MSR Classics), and Michael Fine’s “Finding Home (from Suite for Strings)” and “Concierto del Luna” on Philip Mann’s album, Finding Home (SONY Classics). She also appears on D.J. Sparr’s “With Every Gust of Wind: Four Haiku” on his album, Hard Metal Cantüs (Innova Recordings).

In addition to performing, Mrs. McDonald is an active teacher and has maintained a private cello studio of students of all levels since 2019, as well as teaching cello sectionals in the Lubbock Independent School District and the Lubbock Youth Orchestras. 

Mrs. McDonald currently lives in Silver Spring, Maryland with her husband, Ben, and their three cats.