For nearly twenty years the Marian Anderson String Quartet has brought inspiration and hope to every segment of American society in performance venues ranging from the concert stage to the soup kitchens, from presidential inaugurals to juvenile correctional facilities. The Marian Anderson String Quartet continues to uphold its mission: To create new and diverse audiences for the field of chamber music.

On September 30, 1989 the members of the Marian Anderson String Quartet, then known as the Chaminade Quartet, came together; unaware that they would soon change history. In 1991, the Quartet won the International Cleveland Quartet Competition, becoming the first African American ensemble in history to win a classical music competition. To highlight this singular achievement the members of the quartet asked permission of the great contralto, Marian Anderson, to use her name as their own. Miss Anderson responded with heartfelt approval and, in a memorable show of gratitude, the Marian Anderson String Quartet played for its legendary namesake and her nephew, conductor James DePriest.

The Marian Anderson String Quartet's artistic endeavors have brought them to New York's 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. On January 20, 1993, they performed at Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center as part of the 52nd presidential inaugural celebration.

Driven by their belief in the power of education, the Marian Anderson String Quartet has performed in hundreds of churches, libraries, museums, soup kitchens and prisons. They have brought their craft to countless children across the America, under the auspices of Young Audiences, Da Camera of Houston and Project G.R.A.D. (Graduation Really Achieves Dreams) in Houston, Texas. In 2000, they were awarded a rural residency grant from the Texaco Foundation, which brought music and culture to communities in the south and southwestern United States.

The Marian Anderson String Quartet was Quartet in Residence at City College of New York (1990-1995), Ensemble in Residence at California State University- Los Angeles (1995-1999), completed a graduate fellowship program at the acclaimed Shepherd School of Music at Rice University- Houston, Texas (1999-2001), Ensemble in Residence at Prairie View A&M University (2001-2005) and Ensemble in Residence with the Brazos Valley Symphony (2004-2006).

Other outreach endeavors in Texas include a yearly residency with Camp OPAS at Texas A&M University that uses a residency template, introducing fourth graders to the world of the performing arts that was invented by the quartet, and an educational grant from the Plass Foundation to play at nine elementary and secondary schools in Bryan, Texas.

The quartet has played for most of the CSISD and BISD in the area. The quartet is involved with various musical organizations such as; St. Cecilia's Consort - an Early Music Ensemble, and the American Guild of Organists. They have toured across Texas bringing their unique brand of outreach to such cities as Austin, Beaumont, Brown, Conroe, Crystal Lake, Dallas, Sherman, Galveston, Georgetown, Houston, San Angelo, and the list goes on.

In 2006 The Marian Anderson String Quartet received the coveted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Excellence in Arts and Culture from the Congress of Racial Equality and in 2008 they were the recipients of the Guarneri String Quartet Award from Chamber Music America.

In April 2008 the Quartet was awarded the Guarneri String Quartet Residency by Chamber Music America (CMA). CMA awards an annual residency grant specifically designed for string quartets as part of their Residency Partnership Program. Named in honor of the Guarneri String Quartet, the award is made possible through a generous gift from the Sewell Family Foundation.

Currently, they are enjoying their eighth year as Ensemble in Residence at Texas A&M University in the Department of Performance Studies in Bryan/College Station, TX and they are the founders of the Marian Anderson String Quartet Chamber Music Institute which is a music festival devoted to the musical development of children and adults of all ages in the Bryan/College Station, Texas area.

MCM Artists Worldwide represents the Marian Anderson String Quartet.

The Artists

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 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 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", a features 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, a native of the Washington DC area is now in her third season as second violinist of the acclaimed Marian Anderson String Quartet. A graduate of the Julliard 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 worlds 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 the Audubon String Quartet and famed pop diva Whitney Houston. Ms. Cherry ahs also toured internationally, performing and giving presentations throughout the world. In the United Sates, 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 features soloist in Israel, Egypt, Jordan and South Africa.

A founding member of the Marian Anderson String Quartet, dedicated teacher, and eloquent public speaker, violinist 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 Bachelors degree from the Manhattan School of Music and a Masters 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 perform live on KUSC Radio's "Sunday s at Four". She has also been a grant panelist for the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department.

Prudence McDaniel, a native of Des Moines, Iowa holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Drake University, Maser of Music from Manhattan School of Music, and an Artist Diploma from Dequesne 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 Huston and New York Philharmonic Orchestras. She has also been principal cellist with River Cities Symphony Orchestra, West Virginia Symphony Orchestra and an Associate member of the Columbus Symphony.