Monica Kohler began playing cello at age six and has studied with Eleonore Schoenfeld, George Neikrug, Peter Rejto, and Joan Lunde. While still in high school she was accepted into the Los Angeles Philharmonic Summer Institute and took part in a master class led by Lynn Harrell. She played with the American Youth Orchestra and Young Musicians Foundation Orchestra, and soloed with the CSUN Youth Orchestra for which she also played principal cello.

Monica received her B.A. from Harvard University where she served as principal cellist of the Harvard Bach Society Orchestra and Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra, touring East Asia with them twice. While working on her Ph.D. in geophysics at the California Institute of Technology she performed in numerous chamber ensembles and was featured in a solo recital. Monica is currently a Research Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering at the California Institute of Technology. She has been a member of PCO since 2015, and continues to perform in chamber music concerts with musicians and choirs from the southern California area.