Meet Isaac Cates

In life there are many talented individuals whose musical gifting and expressionism appears effortless to audiences. Some are born with these gifts while others train to become great minstrels and psalmists. However, there are rarely those who are exceptionally blessed to marry their natural gifting with their learned skills to become known as “masters” of their craft! Having been compared to Oscar Peterson, Dianne Warren, Thomas Whitfield and Richard Smallwood, Isaac Cates is an artist possessing astonishing musical knowledge, skill and unparalleled creativity that places second, only to his passion for encouraging people.

 

Born in Kansas City, Kansas and affectionately known as a child prodigy, Isaac has always shown a great interest in music. Isaac has been composing and arranging music for the past 24 years. Isaac began studying classical piano at the early age of four. By the age of 16 Isaac was also studying classical voice. Isaac went on to further his studies of music at the University of Music, Conservatory of music. While attending he started arranging spirituals, chorales and setting sacred texts to music.

 

Isaac has traveled the united states singing, teaching music, directing choirs and serving as clinician for many international music seminars. He has recorded music for the past 17 years and with those recordings, he has performed alongside many artists from all over the world.. Artists like Kirk Franklin, Richard Smallwood, Melonie Daniels, Cyrus Chestnut, James Fortune, Donald Lawrence, Bill Gaither, Kari Jobe, Vashawn Mitchell, Myron Butler, Lynda Randall,  Mark Hayes and Trace Atkins to name a few. Isaac has performed in Italy, Switzerland, England, Spain, Australia, Sweden, Norway, Ireland and Germany playing to sold out audiences conducting and teaching thousands of singers in Music workshops. Isaac is a gifted vocalist, pianist and vocal arranger often sought after for his vocal coaching, specifically for his abilities to blend genres and utilize different vocal techniques as broad as Bel Canto to speech level singing. His original Composition "strong tower" and his setting of "the Lord's Prayer" Have been performed in over 17 different countries and been translated into numerous languages.

 

Isaac has the unique ability to use his knowledge of Classical music and roots of Gospel/Soul music to create refreshingly sophisticated harmonies, polyphonic rhythms and dazzling piano accompaniments that have become his trademark sound. Isaac has recently been sought after for his original songs and compositions contributing music to Dexter Walker and Zion Movement, Geoffrey Golden (winner of season 7 Sunday Best), C. Ashley Wright (Hezekiah walker)  and The amazing Soprano, Callie Day (Americas Got Talent.) Isaac has collaborated with a vast array of artists from many genres... Kansas city Hip-hop legend, Tech N9ne, legendary Irish Choral Group, Anùna, Grammy Nominated Oleta Adams, Grammy winning Choral ensemble Dr. Craig Hella Johnson and Conspirare just to name a few.

 

Isaac is a proud voting memeber of the Recording Academy (Grammys) and released his most recent album with Ordained, "Amazed" in September of 2022 to critical acclaim. The album was considered for a Grammy Nomination. Isaac has the distinct honor of being featured providing Narration for "I'm So Glad"-Kansas city and the roots of Black Gospel Music- the very first comprehensive documentary telling the history of Gospel music in Kansas city. Isaac currently Serves as the Director of Music Outreach in Worship at Church of the Resurrection, the largest United Methodist Church in the United States with 6 locations and over 20,000 members.