About this Artist

Chantal Incandela is a double bassist, writer, and educator based in St. Louis, Missouri. With nearly 30 years of experience, she has built a wide-ranging career at the intersection of performance, teaching, and storytelling.

She studied double bass performance with Hans Sturm at Ball State University, and later with Bruce Bransby and Lawrence Hurst at Indiana University. As a performer, she has played with ensembles throughout the Midwest, most recently with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, the Kingsbury Ensemble, and STL Chamber Soloists. She also spent several years coaching sectionals in Indianapolis-area schools, including with the Indianapolis Youth Orchestra—an ensemble she once played in as a high school student.

Since 2019, Chantal has served on the faculty of the LA Philharmonic’s YOLA National Festival, which she considers the most joyful and impactful part of her year. Guided by a student-centered philosophy, she encourages musicians to meet themselves with compassion, make bold mistakes, and embrace both their strengths and their growth edges.

A former classical music critic for several Indianapolis outlets, Chantal discovered a deep love for written communication and the art of saying more with less. That path later led her into music administration, where she has helped connect communities to the arts through compelling, human-centered storytelling.

In addition to playing her bass around St. Louis, Chantal works in the nonprofit space, serves on the board of the Organ Media Foundation, and volunteers with Different Dynamics, a nonprofit that champions access to music for people of all neurotypes and abilities. She brings her curiosity, lived neurodivergent experience, and deep care for others to every space she enters.

This summer, she is proud to return to the YOLA National Festival faculty.