The program for this evening will be announced by the artist during the performance.
Praised for its authentic, soulful, and orchestral sound, The String Queens (TSQ) is a dynamic trio that creates stimulating musical experiences that inspire diverse audiences to love, hope, feel, and imagine! With an array of repertoire spanning from the Baroque era to the Jazz Age to today’s Billboard Hot 100 Chart, TSQ performs versatile programs that take listeners on a rousing musical journey through time and a multitude of musical genres.
Based in Washington, D.C., TSQ has been featured in performances at renowned concert halls and venues across America, including Carnegie Hall in New York City and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in the nation’s capital. Notable appearances include a special performance dedicated to Vice President Kamala Harris at the “We Are One” Presidential Inauguration Concert in January 2021 and rendering a spotlight presentation of TSQ’s electrifying arrangement of Harry Styles’s hit song “Golden” for the world’s most prestigious tennis tournament “The Championships, Wimbledon” in June 2021. As an ensemble who frequents the D.C. jazz scene, other headlining performances include multiple appearances at the DC Jazz Festival and the Capital Jazz Fest.
Recognized by D.C.’s leading news network WUSA9 as “school teachers by day and concert performers by night”, TSQ’s dedication, service, and innovative work in the field of music education has been acknowledged by the DC Jazz Festival with the “Jazz Education Award” in 2022, Carnegie Hall with the “Music Educators Workshop” Keynote Address in 2021, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra with the “Aspire Award” in 2020, Washington Performing Arts’s “Mars Arts D.C” Resident Ensemble in 2019 and 2020, and most recently, a partnership with the Save The Music Foundation to present a series of professional development workshops for performing arts educators around the country on “Social Emotional Learning in the Arts Classroom” and “Trauma-Informed Centered Arts Classrooms” as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In August 2022, TSQ released its third album titled “RISE”, which was made possible by a Sphinx Organization MPower Artist Grant. With this album, TSQ sought to sonically address the problems that are currently plaguing the world by creating unique arrangements of timeless classics rooted in hope, joy, peace, and love. Featuring original compositions by Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Richard Smallwood, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, and more, “RISE” takes listeners on a musical journey that starts in a field of loss and hopelessness and ends in a fortress of faith, triumph, and fortitude. Previous albums from TSQ include a self-titled EP released in 2019 and a holiday EP titled “Our Favorite Things” released in 2020. All TSQ albums are available on its website and all major digital music platforms.
To learn more about TSQ, visit:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestringqueens/
Violin
Kendall Nicole Isadore is an educator, violinist, vocalist, pianist and songwriter, originally from Houston, Texas and currently residing in the Washington, DC area.
After finishing her Bachelor of Science degree (in Biology) at Howard University, she began teaching middle school science. In 2014, she was invited to found one of KIPP DC’s middle schools (Northeast Academy) as the inaugural Orchestra Director. There, she created a strings program that prioritized excellence, character building, creative expression, and commitment through the vehicle of music. She later became a vice principal at the school and was an instructional coach to the science, math and electives teachers. Though she loved managing and coaching adults, Kendall longed for the classroom and later transitioned to another KIPP DC campus where she founded a second strings program. After 4 years, Kendall made the tough choice to transition out of the teaching profession to shift into a brand new role. She currently serves as the Director of Enrollment Management at Bishop McNamara High School, a private school in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Kendall is also a graduate of The George Washington University where she earned a Master of Arts degree in Education Policy and Administration. Matriculating through GW’s program was truly a highlight in her educational journey, and it solidified her passion for ensuring that every child everywhere receives the world class education they deserve - no matter what and by any means.
When Kendall isn’t serving the students in her community, she spends a great deal of time with her musical group, The String Queens (founded in 2017). The String Queens is a dynamic string trio that is committed to creating diverse musical experiences that inspire audiences to love, hope, think, and imagine. The trio has performed all over the world and has graced stages everywhere from Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center to name a few. Education is at the forefront of The String Queens’ mission, and the group travels the world imparting teaching strategies, first-hand experience, curriculum design and pedagogy to arts teachers, schools and students all over the world.
Kendall understands that with God, all things are possible, and above all, she seeks to bring Him glory in everything she does. She lives by her family’s motto: “Keep trying, never give up, until you succeed.”
Viola
Named as the recipient of the 31st Annual Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Performing Arts Teaching in Washington, D.C., Dawn Michelle Johnson is a graduate (B.M, M.M) of The Juilliard School in New York City and has been recognized by her alma mater for her “Outstanding Achievement and Leadership in Music” as a recipient of the Jerome L. Greene Fellowship, the Irene Diamond Scholarship, and the Peter Mennin Award in Music.
A native of Miami, FL, Dawn is a violist and music educator who has given masterclasses around the world and has been featured as soloist with the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, the New World Symphony, the Santa Fe Virtuosi, and the Ars Flores Chamber Orchestra. In addition, her contributions to the field of music education have earned her recognition as a quarter-finalist for the 1st Annual GRAMMY Music Educator Award, a recipient of KIPP DC’s Executive Director’s Award, and the title of one of GLAMOUR Magazine’s “Top 10 College Women”. She has previously served as a member of the viola faculty for The Killington Music Festival in Vermont and the DC Youth Orchestra Program in Washington, D.C.
Cello
Élise Sharp, a native Washingtonian, began playing the cello in the DC Youth Orchestra Program (DCYOP) when she was eight years old. As a student at DCYOP, she was afforded the distinct honor of performing under the baton of the late, great cellist and conductor, Mstislav Rostropovich, and was selected to tour with the orchestra to China and Taiwan. Inspired by the rigorous training and diverse experiences that she received as a student at DCYOP, Élise continued her musical studies at Howard University where she pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education.
She has graced some of the world’s most renowned stages in performances alongside musical legends Whitney Houston, Tye Tribbett, Donnie McClurkin, Aretha Franklin, and Dionne Warwick, to name a few. In addition, Élise has performed for three former Presidents of the United States of America including, George H. W. Bush, William J. Clinton, and Barack Obama. Élise went back to the DC Youth Orchestra Program, where it all started, and served as cello instructor and conductor of two ensembles for over twenty years. Currently, she is the director of the music program at a public charter school in the District of Columbia.
Susan Minker
Dr. Christopher Payne & Dr. Jeannette Potts
Al Schnupp & Wyatt Brown
