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 in music education at Howard University.
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 a high school orchestra program in Maryland and serves as adjunct professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.
Contact
Affiliate Artist
esharp2@umbc.edu
Teaching
String Methods