Born in Detroit Michigan, Candace began studying the violin at the age of three. Taught by her mother, a string specialist, she quickly excelled to become a captivating performer. At the age of six, Candace began studying with members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) Derek Francis, and later Marguerite Dene. Candace also participated in the DSO youth ensembles, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and the Sphinx preparatory program and competition. During her studies with the Sphinx program, she began to notice the unfortunate lack of classical musicians of color in orchestras. To resolve this issue, she began working with Sphinx founder Aaron Dworkin to help educate and incorporate different opportunities for young musicians in the Detroit public schools.
Candace went on to attended Ohio Wesleyan University where she studied with Columbus Symphony member David Niwa. Although Candace makes it her goal to diversify the classical music scene, she also loves to inspire people through solo performances. She has had the privilege of performing at several venues such as The European Organization for Nuclear Research (known as CERN), The Music Hall in Detroit, Detroit’s Orchestra Hall, and Seiji Ozawa Hall in Lenox, MA. Candace recently earned her Master of Music degree and Advanced Certificate from New York University’s Steinhart School, where she studied with Metropolitan Opera Orchestra concertmaster Laura Hamilton.