For years, The String Queens have reimagined music through a distinctive blend of classical, jazz, gospel, R&B, and soul, creating performances that transcend genre while honoring Black musical traditions. Now, the acclaimed trio is stepping into a new era with the release of “Troubled Liberty,” their first original composition together, marking a significant artistic milestone.
Released on Juneteenth, the stirring instrumental arrives as both a reflection on America’s unfinished pursuit of freedom and an affirmation of hope. Inspired by the emotional weight of history, the resilience of Black communities, and the cultural conversations sparked by Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, the composition opens an entirely new chapter for Kendall Isadore, Dawn Johnson, and Élise Sharp.
The journey toward original music began with a simple but transformative piece of advice from mentor and NEA Jazz Master Regina Carter: “Just start.” Those two words unlocked years of creative ideas the trio had been holding onto, ultimately leading them to compose a work that channels ancestral struggle, perseverance, and triumph while speaking to the realities of today.
Choosing Juneteenth as the release date was intentional.
Élise Sharp is a cellist, educator, and founding member of The String Queens. A native Washingtonian, she began her musical journey with the DC Youth Orchestra Program and later studied music education at Howard University. Throughout her career, she has performed alongside legendary artists including Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Donnie McClurkin, and Tye Tribbett, and has performed for Presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama.
A dedicated educator, Sharp spent more than two decades teaching and conducting with the DC Youth Orchestra Program. She currently directs a high school orchestra program in Maryland and serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
“Freedom has never been a single moment in history,” the trio explains. “It is an ongoing journey that requires resilience, sacrifice, and collective action.” Through Troubled Liberty, they sought to acknowledge both the burden and the beauty of that pursuit while inviting listeners to imagine a future where liberty is fully realized for everyone.
One of the composition’s most moving elements arrives before the music even begins. The piece opens with the voice of the late poet and cultural icon Nikki Giovanni, whose recorded remarks compare The String Queens to the pioneering women of Hidden Figures.
The musicians describe hearing Giovanni’s words as both humbling and transformative. Her comparison encouraged them to see themselves not simply as performers but as cultural torchbearers helping shape the future of classical music. Including her voice also serves as a tribute to her enduring legacy while introducing younger audiences to her influence.
A graduate of Howard University and George Washington University, Kendall is equally passionate about music and education. She has founded youth orchestra programs, served in educational leadership roles, and remains committed to mentoring young musicians through community engagement and arts advocacy.
Musically, Troubled Liberty draws deeply from the tradition the trio believes sits at the foundation of American music: the Negro spiritual.
Rather than simply arranging familiar spirituals as they have throughout their careers, The String Queens composed an original work inspired by that tradition. The piece weaves together echoes of familiar melodies, including My Country ’Tis of Thee, using subtle musical changes to evoke longing, disappointment, perseverance, and ultimately hope. As the tempo builds, listeners are carried through a sonic journey that mirrors the ongoing pursuit of truth, justice, and freedom before settling into a peaceful conclusion.
The composition also establishes the emotional foundation for their forthcoming album, What We Carry, a project exploring sound, memory, identity, and the enduring influence of Black musical traditions.
The trio describes the album as an invitation to experience generations of joy, resilience, faith, creativity, and community while honoring the artists who paved the way and adding their own voice to that legacy.
As Black women working within classical music, The String Queens are equally committed to expanding representation within the genre. They credit pioneers including Regina Carter, Florence Price, Jessie Montgomery, and organizations like the Sphinx Organization for helping create opportunities that continue to inspire their work.
Their message to emerging musicians is clear: master your craft, honor those who came before you, but never wait for permission to create. Authenticity, they believe, is just as important as technique.
Education remains central to that mission.
Dawn Michelle Johnson is an internationally recognized violist, educator, arts leader, and founding member of The String Queens. A graduate of The Juilliard School, she has performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, including the Kennedy Center, Radio City Music Hall, and David Geffen Hall, and has collaborated with artists such as Jennifer Hudson, Aretha Franklin, Common, Leslie Odom Jr., Lauryn Hill, Ledisi, Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, and Coco Jones.
In addition to her performance career, Johnson is a respected music educator and instructional leader whose work has earned numerous honors, including Washington, D.C.’s Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Performing Arts Teaching. Through her artistry and leadership, she remains committed to using music as a tool for education, empowerment, and cultural connection.
Beyond performing on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, each member has built a career as an educator, mentor, and community advocate. They view teaching and performing as inseparable, using both to make classical music more accessible while encouraging young musicians to see themselves reflected within the art form. Whether in classrooms or concert halls, their goal is to create spaces where music becomes a vehicle for belonging, cultural storytelling, and empowerment.
Having performed everywhere from Carnegie Hall to the Presidential Inauguration Concert, the trio says this new season of original music represents something even more personal.
After years of interpreting the work of legendary composers, they are now embracing the vulnerability of telling their own stories through music. The overwhelmingly positive response to Troubled Liberty has only strengthened their confidence to continue creating original works that invite conversation, reflection, and connection.
Even the title itself was designed to provoke thought.
The phrase “Troubled Liberty” intentionally places struggle alongside hope, encouraging listeners to ask difficult questions about freedom before a single note is heard. The trio hopes those questions ultimately lead to deeper conversations about justice, history, responsibility, and the collective work still required to achieve true liberty.
With Troubled Liberty, The String Queens are not simply introducing an original composition. They are offering a musical meditation on history, identity, and possibility, proving that sometimes the most powerful stories are the ones artists finally choose to tell themselves.
Photography: Roy Cox Photography
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