Cellist Josh McClendon prepares to shine at Imagine US: America at 250
The rising star talks about his Detroit upbringing, life-shaping experiences at Interlochen, and how music helps us celebrate what unites us.
For Detroit-born cellist Josh McClendon (IAC 10-15, IAA 15-17), music is and always has been a way of life.
“I never considered doing anything else,” he says.
At 26, the Isidore String Quartet member is preparing to return to his home city for a once-in-a-lifetime performance: alongside current Interlochen Arts Academy students and Detroit Symphony orchestra musicians, he’ll pay homage to the city that formed him and the institutions that honed his talent. From a Detroit elementary school to the stately pines of northwest Michigan, McClendon’s journey has been marked by an abiding passion for his instrument—and a deep sense of how art can bring people together.
Discovering the magic of cello
McClendon’s love for music started early. As a four-year-old, he wandered into his sister’s violin class, picked up someone else’s instrument, and started trying to play it. The teacher noticed his efforts and let him join the class. Soon after joining, he went on a field trip to a Detroit Symphony Orchestra concert. After that, nothing was the same.
“I'm told by people who were at the concert that whenever the cello section had the theme, I got up out of my seat,” McClendon laughs. “I was naturally very drawn to the sound of that instrument.”
After a few years of violin, he successfully persuaded his parents and teacher to let him switch to the larger instrument. He played with the DSO’s Civic Youth Ensemble (balancing that with academics and lacrosse practice) but soon found himself craving even more time to do what he loved. McClendon’s music instructor, a DSO member, encouraged him to attend Interlochen Arts Camp over the summer so he could experience more dedicated artistic training.
“I immediately fell in love with the people there,” says McClendon. “I got to be in such a beautiful place for so long with such an intense environment to dive into music and cello playing.”
McClendon attended Camp for six summers and enrolled in Arts Academy his sophomore year.
“I knew that I loved playing cello and I wanted it to be at the center of what I was doing with my life,” he says. “Going to Interlochen was the right move to support that.”
For the first time in his life, he had everything he needed to pursue music to the fullest—from practice rooms built into the dorms to countless fellow students who shared his artistic passion. Interlochen was also where McClendon first experienced the joy of chamber music, where he says he feels “most at home.”
Interlochen practically raised me as a musician and a person. I have nothing but gratitude for the institution and all the people there. I'm very excited to have an opportunity to come back.
Artistry with an impact
The foundation he built at Interlochen would serve McClendon well in the years ahead. His next step was The Juilliard School, known for the intensity of its chamber music program. It was there that he became part of a student ensemble that would eventually evolve into Isidore String Quartet.
McClendon and his fellow musicians quickly built a reputation for their skill, as well as their passion for sharing music with youth, elderly populations, and marginalized communities. Their drive for excellence was rewarded on the global stage: in 2022, the quartet won the prestigious Banff International String Quartet Competition. The following year, they earned an Avery Fisher Career Grant. Tours in America and Europe followed.
Despite the thrill of worldwide recognition, McClendon hasn’t lost sight of his roots. It was an immediate yes when Interlochen tapped him to perform as a soloist for the March 2026 concert alongside DSO members and current Arts Academy students. As he gears up for the show, McClendon feels the excitement and weight of becoming a mentor to others.
“This is my first time going to an institution where I am teaching younger students in any formal capacity. I'm very excited,” he says.
He has vivid memories of learning from guest artists during his time as a student at Arts Academy, and feels compelled to give back in a similar way.
“I remember how inspiring it was to have them there, how much I learned from them, and the impact they had on me. There are some artists who visited campus while I was a student that I'm still in touch with today. To be able to come back and have a similar impact on students who are there now is really special to me.”
The chance to work with a new generation of musicians isn’t the only thing that makes Imagine US: America at 250 special to McClendon. In the depth and variety of the music being showcased, he sees a glimpse of our nation’s multifaceted soul—including works from jazz pioneer Wynton Marsalis to Indian-American composer Reena Esmail and beyond.
“The nature of the pieces we'll be playing together speaks to what we can celebrate,” he reflects. "The influences from jazz, which is so deeply rooted in African-American history, combine with the classical form and ensemble to create a musical melting pot that brings together different cultural influences in a beautiful way. I think it'll be quite special, and I hope that audience members will be inspired by it.”
For McClendon, Imagine US: America at 250 will be a full-circle moment. He’ll return to Detroit—the city where he first fell in love with the sound of cello at a DSO concert—and perform alongside the DSO musicians who inspired his journey. His family will be in the audience. And he’ll share the stage with young musicians from Interlochen Arts Academy, the high school that shaped his early talent among the stately pines.
“Interlochen practically raised me as a musician and a person,” he says. “I have nothing but gratitude for the institution and all the people there. I'm very excited to have an opportunity to come back.”
It's a homecoming in every sense of the word, and McClendon couldn’t be more ready to shine.