Theodore Thorpe III, considered by many as a gifted multifaceted master musician, is one of the leading voices and contributors to the music field in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and throughout the country. His experience as a musician brings richness to his leadership as a sought-after conductor, clinician, musical director, vocalist, pianist, organist, composer, arranger, and choral master.  

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Mr. Thorpe began his musical training studying piano at the age of four. In 2006, he received his B.A. in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from Oakwood College, now Oakwood University in Huntsville, AL, serving as president, student accompanist, soloist, and student conductor of the world-renowned Aeolians. In 2009, he received his M.A. in music with emphasis in choral and orchestral conducting from Morgan State University. Mr. Thorpe has been recognized for exemplifying musical excellence throughout the years. He was the music director for the Washington Youth Choir (2006-2008), a nonprofit music program which served all high school students in the D.C. metropolitan area. He was also the artistic director for Washington Performing Arts Men and Women of the Gospel (2017-2025.) A composer and arranger whose compositions have been published and recorded by renowned distributor GIA, Mr. Thorpe has performed at major performing arts centers including Carnegie Hall, the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, the Strathmore Music Center, the Kennedy Center, and the Royal Albert Hall.

Mr. Thorpe has served as artistic director conducting works for the public including Handel’s “Messiah,” Faure’s “Requiem,” Dvorak’s “Te Deum,” Christianson and Anderson’s “Too Hot to Handel”, and McElroy and Joubert’s “Great Joy” with full orchestra and chorus. Mr. Thorpe has also served as artistic director and music director for the casts of several musical productions including “Rent,” “Crazy for You,” “The Wiz,” “West Side Story,” “A Chorus Line,” “Hairspray,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Sister Act,” “Dreamgirls,” and many others. Mr. Thorpe also completed his tenth season as assistant director to Joyce Garrett in the “Kennedy Center Honors,” and “Christmas in Washington” televised productions on CBS-TV and TNT-cable, respectively. In these roles, he has had the opportunity to work with leading artists including Bruce Springsteen, Rob Mathes, Chris Brown, Mary J. Blige, Megan Hilty, Usher, Ne-Yo, Janelle Monae, Diana Ross, Katharine McPhee, Hugh Jackman, Justin Bieber, Jennifer Hudson, and many others. Recently, he was performed on the hit late-night comedy show Saturday Night Live with the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers, Coldplay, and Jacob Collier.

Mr. Thorpe is serving in his 20th season as music director and staff musician at the historic Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA., his second season as co-artistic director for the Washington Douglass Chorale, and his 16th season as director of choral activities at Alexandria City High School (formerly T.C. Williams High School). Noted by the Alexandria Times as “Inspiring students to soar!” Mr. Thorpe was recognized for his leadership and the choral programs’ excellence throughout the years.  Over the last 15 years, the choral program has consistently received superior and gold ratings at every local and national music festival in which they’ve performed. The choir has also performed for the President of the United States and the first family in “Christmas in Washington” and “Kennedy Center Honors” nationally televised productions. The choir has performed for the Alexandria branch of the NAACP, opened for the cast of the television show “Glee,” and in 2016 performed for the opening ceremony of the African American Museum of History and Culture. In 2017, the choir was also selected to perform for the Virginia Music Educators Association Conference in Hot Springs, VA. The Alexandria City High School Choir was also one of 12 choirs selected nationally to perform at the 2019 “Music for All” National Choral Festival. Recently, the choir received superior ratings, gold, and grand champion awards for the highest scoring ensemble at the 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 Busch Gardens, Dorney Park, Orlando-Fest, Festivals of Music, and Hershey Park music festivals.

Mr. Thorpe is a member of the National Association for Music Education, Virginia Music Educators, Virginia Choral Directors, American Choral Directors, and Chorus America Associations. He has served both as a performer and presenter at VMEA Conferences, and as High School Music Repertoire and Resource Chair for the Virginia chapter of ACDA (2021-2023). Recently, Mr. Thorpe was selected as one of 40 educators nationally to be featured in the Yamaha “40 Under 40” Class of 2023 for his outstanding contribution to music education. He has a daughter, Anaya Nicole, and resides in Ft. Washington, MD., with his wife, Jennifer.  Mr. Thorpe believes strongly in excellence without excuses.  He continues to look for ways to make a difference in education and in the lives of young people, while blazing a trail for upcoming musicians.