The Queen's Cartoonists

Pulling from over 100 years of animation from around the world, The Queen's Cartoonists bring animated films to life.

The band re-creates original soundtracks note-for-note, or writes fresh compositions for modern pieces, breathing new life into two uniquely American art forms: jazz and animation. Audiences watch classic cartoon characters interact with the musicians on stage, from the Golden Age of Animation to cult classics and modern animated films.

The music runs from Jazz Age composers like Carl Stalling, Raymond Scott and John Kirby to classical giants such as Mozart, Rossini and Strauss. Tying it all together is the TQC brand of comedy: stories about the cartoons and their composers, stream-of-consciousness humor and elements of a musical circus.

Led by pianist, arranger and composer Joel Pierson, the six members of the band all live in Queens, New York, and originally hail from four continents. They have been featured in more than fifty publications, including The Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, NPR's All Things Considered and BBC Radio 3.