“plays with substantial sound and a lovely feeling of warmth.

— Richmond Times Dispatch

Virginia Native, Brendon Elliott is a graduate of the Curtis Institute and The Juilliard School. He began his violin studies with his mother at the age of three.

Brendon made his debut as a soloist when he was 10 years old, performing a concerto with the Hampton University Orchestra. Since then, he has won many solo competitions and has been a soloist with several professional and community orchestras.

Marian Anderson String Quartet

Founded in 1989 and named after the legendary contralto, the Marian Anderson String Quartet won the prestigious Cleveland Quartet Competition in 1991, becoming the first African-American ensemble in history to win a classical music competition.  The Quartet’s artistic endeavors have taken them to Alice Tully Hall, the Corcoran Gallery, the Library of Congress, the Cleveland Institute of Music, Kilbourn Hall, The University of Southern California and the Chateau Cantanac-Brown in Bordeaux, France. The Quartet’s distinguished history includes performances through the Da Camera Society, the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.  The Quartet’s members are Marianne Heny, violin; Nicole Cherry, violin; Deidra Lawrence, viola; Prudence McDaniel, cello.

MARIANNE HENRY, VIOLIN

First violinist, Marianne Henry, has toured extensively as a founding member of the Marian Anderson String Quartet. A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Ms. Henry holds a Bachelor's and Master of Music degrees in violin performance, from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. She received a second Master’s degree in String Quartet Performance at The Shepherd School of Music in Houston, Texas. Ms. Henry is a devoted teacher of violin and chamber music as well as a performer. She has served on the faculties of the Harlem School of the Arts in New York City, New York City College and California State University, Lost Angeles. Ms. Henry has been a soloist on KUSC Radio’s “Sundays’ at Four”, and a featured soloist with the List-Glenn Festival Chamber Orchestra, the South-Central Chamber Orchestra, and the Afro-American Symphony. She has been involved in a myriad of other orchestra work, which includes Phantom of the Opera, the Academy Award Orchestra, and The American Music Awards.

NICOLE CHERRY, VIOLIN

Nicole Cherry, second violinist, a native of the Washington DC area discovered her dream job in music after hearing the Marian Anderson String Quartet perform nearly 20 years ago at the world-renowned Lincoln Performing Arts Center in New York City. A graduate of The Juilliard School with a master of music degree in violin performance, Ms. Cherry performs concerts and educational seminars playing and exploring the essence of European classical music and collaborating with some of the world’s most established artists. Noted as well for her ability to play in many styles, Ms. Cherry has shared the stage with a diverse list of esteemed artists such as members of the Audubon String Quartet, Cleveland String Quartet, Colorado String Quartet, and famed pop diva Whitney Houston. Ms. Cherry has also toured internationally, performing and giving presentations throughout the world. In the United States, she has performed in such venues as the Library of Congress, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall. Her past performances in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia include a tour as a featured soloist in Israel, Egypt, Jordan and South Africa.

DEIDRE LAWRENCE, VIOLA

A founding member of the Marian Anderson String Quartet, dedicated teacher, and eloquent public speaker, violist Diedra Lawrence, has shared her passion for chamber music through both her instrument and the spoken word. A native of New York City, Ms. Lawrence received her Bachelor’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music and a Master’s degree from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. She has held teaching positions at the City College of New York, the Bowdoin Music Festival, and California State University, Los Angeles. Ms. Lawrence has been a guest artist with the Southwest Chamber Ensemble, performed as a concerto soloist for both the List-Glenn Chamber Music Festival and the Symphony Camerata, and has performed live on KUSC Radio’s “Sundays at Four.” She has also been a grant panelist for the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department.

PRUDENCE MCDANIEL, CELLO

Prudence McDaniel, a native of Des Moines, Iowa holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Drake University, a Master of Music from Manhattan School of Music, and an Artist Diploma from Duquesne University. Ms. McDaniel has performed as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician throughout the United States and in Portugal. Through participation in the Minority Orchestral Fellowship Program, Ms. McDaniel was a section cellist with both the Houston and New York Philharmonic Orchestras. She has also been a principal cellist with the River Cities Symphony Orchestra, West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and an associate member of the Columbus Symphony.

Lauded by ATL Arts critic Pierre Ruhe as “beautiful and convincing,” harpist Angelica Hairston is known for her fiery performances and her passion for social change. A sought after artist in the United States and abroad, Angelica is a native of Atlanta, GA.

She currently serves as the Artistic Director of the Urban Youth Harp Ensemble, a nonprofit organization that provides free harp instruction to over 80 students in Atlanta’s urban center and oversees the artistic direction of the organization. She also serves as the Founding Executive Director of Challenge the Stats, a non-profit committed to empowering artists of color and advocating for social justice. Because of her impactful work, Angelica was recently selected as part of the inaugural cohort of SphinxLEAD, a program designed to advance arts leaders of color and to evolve the landscape of administrative leadership in the country.

Angelica has performed concertos with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Montgomery Symphony, and the Daytona Solisti Chamber Orchestra. She was a Recipient of From the Top’s $10,000 Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award and a member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Talent Development Program for six years (2006-2011). She attended summer music programs at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, National Music Festival, Saratoga Harp Colony, International Harp Academy of the Pacific, and the Judith Liber Harp Masterclass in Lake Como, Italy. While at Tanglewood, Angelica was inspired by her teacher and mentor, Ann Hobson Pilot, the African-American harpist who retired after 40 years with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Angelica has a deep interest in creating platforms that celebrate underrepresented segments of society in the performing arts. In 2016, she launched Challenge the Stats, a concert series celebrating high-caliber artists of color and shedding light on the underrepresentation of minorities in the performing arts. Challenge the Stats events highlight the need for racial diversity, activism and social justice, both inside and outside of concert halls. In 2017, Angelica was awarded an Arts Leadership Grant through From the Top, which funded a 2018 Challenge the Stats concert in Atlanta and help develop resources to support artists and organizations working towards a more diverse future for the arts.

Compelling interpretations, inventive performances and an energetic stage presence are the hallmarks of American conductor Antoine T. Clark. The founding Artistic and Music Director of the Worthington Chamber Orchestra in Ohio (formerly McConnell Arts Center Chamber Orchestra), now in its tenth season, Mr. Clark was named Assistant Conductor of West Virginia’s Wheeling Symphony Orchestra in fall 2021. A passionate advocate of arts education, he served as Cincinnati Symphony’s 2022 MAC Music Innovator. The program, which highlights leading African American classical musicians who embody artistry, innovation and commitment to education and community engagement, saw Clark leading chamber music and orchestral performances in schools and throughout the community during his residency.

Terry Andrews holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Albany State University, where he studied with Dr. Michael Decuir. He earned his Master of Music Performance at Valdosta State University, studying with both Dr. Elizabeth Goode and Dr. Daniel Alexander. He received an Artist Diploma Certificate from the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University, where he studied with Dr. Andrée Martin. Mr. Andrews is currently pursuing a DMA in Music Performance from the University of Missouri – Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance, studying with Professor Michael Gordon and Ebonee Thomas. Terry is the winner of the 2022 National Association of Negro Musicians competition.