Florence Altenburger, violin, string coach: DMA, Catholic University of America; MM, Indiana University, Fulbright Scholarship; Artist Diploma, Banff Center of the Arts; additional studies, Tanglewood Music Center. Dr. Altenburger was raised in Paris, France. She has played and recorded under the batons of Sir George Solti, Andrè Previn, Mstislav Rostropovich, Zubin Meta, Sir Colin Davis, Michael Tilson Thomas, Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Osawa and Simon Rattle. Dr. Altenburger has performed with the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition, she is a regular member of the Baltimore Opera and at the Grand Teton Music Festival. Dr. Altenburger is a member of "Sextet de l'Artoi" and has also been a member of the European Union Chamber Orchestra, based in London. She has recorded multiple CDs on the REM label.

Monifa Barrow-Wass, string bass: M.M. Yale University; B.M. Juilliard; additional studies at Catholic University of America. Ms. Barrow-Wass has studied with Donald Palma, Orin O'Brien, and William Vaughan and she was the recipient of the Geno Baroni Scholarship, the Irene Diamond Scholarship, the Yale School of Music Scholarship, and the Music Assistance Fund Grant.

Ms. Barrow-Wass has performed under Kurt Masur, Leonard Slatkin, Joel Smirnoff, Robert Mann, Kryztof Penderecki, and Pierre Boulez. She has also performed in the New Music New Haven Series, Juilliard's MLK celebration, and Juilliard's Focus Festival. Ms. Barrow-Wass has taught at the Latino Music of New Haven and most recently was appointed to the position of Double Bass Teacher at Georgetown University. Ms. Barrow-Wass is an alumna of the DC Youth Orchestra Program.

Gerard Battle, viola: B.M., performance, North Carolina School of the Arts; earlier studies Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Levine School of Music, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Killington Music Festival, and the Gateways Music Festival. He has studied with Phyllis Fleming, Eddie Drennon, Janine Parnell, and Ulrich Eichenauer. Mr. Battle is an active freelance musician in the greater Washington, DC area, and has toured and performed internationally including venues such as the White House, Kennedy Center, Lansburg Theatre, Lincoln Theatre, and also on Fox 5 News, and FM 103.5. Currently, Mr. Battle is a musician with the Soulful Symphony, and Violist of Elegance By Deux. He has also performed with the Umoja String Quartet and the Aida String Quartet.

Amanda Belcher, cello: B.A. Music, Butler University. Ms. Belcher has coached cello sectionals with the Indianapolis Youth Orchestra in Indiana as well as maintained an active private studio throughout her music career. She has performed with the Butler Symphony Orchestra among others, and has coached multiple chamber ensembles for Butler University and in a private studio setting. In addition to her pursuits in music, she also works in advocacy at the Capital Area Food Bank. Ms. Belcher is an active freelance cellist in the greater Washington area and currently plays cello with the Hyattsville Symphony Orchestra.

Shy-Luen Chen, violin: D.M. in progress, orchestral conducting University of Maryland; M.M., violin performance, University of Maryland; M.M., conducting, Pennsylvania State University; B.M., violin performance, National Sun Yat-Sen, University of Taiwan. Mr. Chen has studied with Daniel Heifetz, Geraldo Edelstein, Pu-Qi Jiang, and James Ross. He is an active private teacher and freelance musician/conductor in the greater DC area.

Élise Cuffy, violincello: B.M.E. studies, Howard University. An active freelance musician and music teacher in the greater Washington, DC area, Ms. Cuffy has been a cellist with the Mount Vernon Orchestra in Virginia, has participated in the Kennedy Center's Summer Music Institute, and in The Catholic University's Summer Opera Workshop. Ms. Cuffy has also recorded with many artists including Donnie McClurkin, Richard Smallwood, and Whitney Houston. She has also performed at Weill Hall, Carnegie Hall with Veronica Tyler and she is a member of the Soulful Symphony. Ms. Cuffy is an alumna of the DC Youth Orchestra Program, and while in the Program, toured China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Canada.

Heather LeDoux Green, guest coach, violin: San Francisco Conservatory and Rice University. Ms. Green has been a violinist with the National Symphony Orchestra since 2005. Previously she was Assistant Concertmaster of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra and a member of the Fort Worth Symphony. As a chamber musician, she has performed at the Arts Club of Washington and at the Music in the Mountains Festival in Durango, Colorado. She has participated in the Amadeus Quartet Program at the Royal Academy in London, performed at the National Portrait Gallery, and played in festivals at Round Top, Sun Valley, and Spoleto, Italy. In 1999 she was awarded the Presser Music Award and attended both the Accademia Chigiana violin course in Siena, Italy and the Mozarteum Summer Academy in Salzburg. During Ms. Green's degree studies, her principal teachers were Camilla Wicks and Sergiu Luca.

Kenneth Giles, violin: Teacher training, Suzuki String Institute; undergraduate work, Swarthmore College; earlier studies, Interlochen Arts Academy. Performances with Fabrangen Fiddlers, Bright Morning Star, King David's Harp, and the D.C. Labor Chorus. Mr. Giles currently teaches instrumental music at Shepherd Elementary School in D.C., and has also studied with Nathan Gordon, Francis Bundra, Richard Parnas, Martha Shackford, and John Kendall.

Camille Lewis, violin: M.M. violin performance/pedagogy, Peabody Conservatory of Music; B.M., violin performance and music education (instrumental), University of Maryland. Ms. Lewis serves as the Music Department Chair at Banneker Academic High School where she teaches general music and also sponsors the National Honor Society. Ms. Lewis also is an active freelancer in the greater Washington DC area and was the winner of the Miss Maryland pageant title in June 2002. Ms. Lewis was also a top-five finalist and the Overall Talent Winner in the Miss America pageant because of her violin performance.

Meredith Mancini, harp: B.M., harp performance (cum laude), Catholic University. Ms. Mancini is a member of the American Harp Society, Sigma Alpha Iota, and the American String Teachers' Association. In addition to teaching for the DC Youth Orchestra Program, she teaches at the Ottley Music School. Ms. Mancini is a freelance musician and teacher in the Washington DC Metropolitan area and has performed with the Maryland Symphony, Annapolis Symphony, Catholic University Symphony, the Columbia Orchestra, and numerous musical theatre productions. Ms. Mancini is an alumna of the DC Youth Orchestra Program.

Claudine Nash, string bass, string coach: B.M., The Catholic University of America. Ms. Nash taught for twenty-nine years in the DC Public Schools and private schools, she is an active bassist, and served as President of the District of Columbia Music Educators Association. Ms. Nash has performed as principal bassist of the Washington Performing Arts Society, Men and Women of the Gospel Orchestra, the Soulful Symphony Orchestra, the Washington Festival Orchestra, the New Vienna Ensemble of Washington, Summer Opera Theater, Catholic University, Heritage Signature Chorale Orchestra, and the Washington Sinfonia. Ms. Nash has performed as a member of the Annapolis, Roanoke, Fairfax, and Lynchburg Symphony Orchestras. Ms. Nash is also an alumna of the DC Youth Orchestra Program.

Denna Purdie, cello, string coach: Studied cello with Ronald Feldman (Boston Symphony) and Sieva Lezhnev. Ms. Purdie was the first black female to join the US Marine Band, "The President's Own,” retiring as Gunnery Sergeant. She is co-founder of Strings for Christ Ministries . Ms. Purdie currently teaches at the Fillmore School of the Arts, in D.C. and performs regularly throughout the greater metropolitan area and also as a member of the Soulful Symphony.

Andrea Vercoe, violin coach: B.A. in music performance, Oberlin College/Conservatory. Ms. Vercoe's principal violin studies were with Robert Koff of the Juilliard String Quartet and Greg Fulkerson at Oberlin Conservatory. She has performed abroad in Germany, Canada, Austria, France, and Russia. Ms. Vercoe participated in such summer festivals as the Quartet Program, AIMS in Graz, the National Orchestral Institute, and the National Repertory Orchestra. In the D.C. area, she has performed with Fairfax Symphony, Arlington Symphony, Virginia Symphony, Maryland Symphony, Prince William Symphony, and Alexandria Symphony. Ms. Vercoe also performed at Carnegie Hall with Virginia Symphony in 1999. Ms. Vercoe is a founding member of the Great Noise Ensemble, a DC-based, WAMMIE-nominated contemporary music group, has performed with a Persian ensemble and a flamenco band and has participated in several workshops on Middle Eastern music.

Christopher Wass, guitar: B.M. composition, University of Maryland, CP; earlier studies, Catholic University of America. Mr. Wass has studied classical guitar with Giorgia Cavallero and improvisation with Baron Tymas. In addition to his guitar studies, he has studied composition with Martin Bresnick, Jeffrey Mumford, Lawrence Moss, Mark Wilson, Gerald Muller, and Helmut Braunlich. He also studied pianoforte with Barbara Maris and Lori Nelson McCarthy. Mr. Wass released a recording with the Sea Sky Studio label entitled Dawn of New Day. He has had his compositions performed all along the mid-Atlantic coast at such prestigious institutions as Juilliard and Yale. His works have been performed locally at the MLK Library, St. Patrick’s in the City, UMCP, Catholic University, and Levine School of Music. Mr. Wass is an active freelance musician, composer and instructor of guitar and theory throughout the DC metropolitan area.

Laura Zellers, violin/viola: M.M., violin performance, Penn State University; B.M. (cum laude), Bucknell University. Ms. Zellers conducts the String Ensemble program at St John's College High School and serves as Personnel Manager for the Arlington Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Zellers has performed as a freelance musician in the Washington DC Metropolitan area with the National Chamber Orchestra and the National Gallery Orchestra. She has also worked in arts administration with Parkway Communications and the Johansen International Competition for Young String Players.