Mrs. Diana Chou, Artistic Director
Conductor - String Ensemble
Diana Chou is a music educator, cellist, and conductor. She is the Artistic Director of The Capitol Symphonic Youth Orchestras (TCSYO), as well as Conductor for String Ensemble. Mrs. Chou began her tenure with TCSYO in 2017 as the Prelude Orchestra Conductor; under her leadership, the program grew rapidly and String Ensemble was formed in the fall of 2019.
Mrs. Chou has been a music educator since 2008, and has taught for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) since 2013. She currently teaches at Lake Braddock Secondary School as the Middle School Orchestra Director. In addition, she is Director of the Fairfax Chamber Players, an orchestra made up of FCPS teachers in conjunction with the Academy Course Program. She is the Event Coordinator for the Fairfax Arts Coalition for Education (FACE) and works to bring musical opportunities to all students. Mrs. Chou enjoys curriculum development, and has worked on projects for FCPS and the Virginia Department of Education. She has been a mentor to many first year orchestra teachers and has hosted several student teachers. She is an active freelance cellist in the Washington D.C. area and is a founding member of the Maestra Ensemble. She has performed concerti with the Manassas Symphony Orchestra, Fairfax Chamber Players, and Orchard Park Symphony Orchestra.
Before moving to Virginia, she taught elementary and middle school orchestra for the Ithaca City School District. She served as Vice President of the Seneca Tompkins Music Educators Association, and was the Chairperson for All County and Area All State festivals. Mrs. Chou was also the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Ithaca Community Orchestra. In 2013 she was named a Music Educator Grammy Award Quarter Finalist. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Ithaca College, and Master of Music in Conducting from Houghton University.
Mrs. Anne Rupert
Principal Conductor - Symphonic Orchestra
Anne Rupert is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music where she earned degrees in Cello Performance and Instrumental Music Education. Mrs. Rupert has enjoyed a very long and successful public-school teaching career in Fairfax County Public Schools where she has taught at Oakton High School, Franklin Middle School, Rachel Carson Middle School and now Robinson Secondary School where she has been teaching the high school and advanced middle school orchestra classes since 2006. Additionally, from 1999-2011 and 2014 – 2017 she was the Music Director and Youth Symphony Orchestra director of the Youth Orchestras of Prince William (YOPW).
Mrs. Rupert's orchestras have consistently received Superior Ratings and Best Overall Orchestra Awards at District and National competitions in the United States and Canada. In June 2006, Mrs. Rupert made her Carnegie Hall conducting debut with YOPW’s Youth Symphony Orchestra, earning a Gold Rating at the New York Youth Orchestra Festival.
Since 1989 Mrs. Rupert has been a member of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra cello section, where she also served as Music Librarian from 2003-2007. She performs frequently as a freelance cellist in the Washington D.C. Metro Area and maintains a small private cello studio in her home. Mrs. Rupert is the 1994 and 2010 recipient of the American String Teachers Association Virginia Chapter (VASTA) Outstanding Orchestra Director Award, the 2006 Kathleen Seefeldt Award for Musical Excellence in Prince William County, the 2007 Award for Outstanding Service to the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, and the 2008- and 2012-People’s Choice Awards at Robinson Secondary School.
Since 1994, Mrs. Rupert has served as guest conductor to many of the All County, Junior Regional Orchestra and Junior/Senior District orchestras in Virginia, North Carolina, and Connecticut, and the Junior All State Orchestra in Maryland. She has been on the conducting staff at various summer and special festivals including the Greater Washington Suzuki Summer Institute, the UNCG Summer Music Camp and JMU Spring String Thing. She frequently adjudicates at State Orchestra Assessments and Solo and Ensemble Festivals across VA and in MD. Mrs. Rupert holds active memberships with NAfME, VBODA and ASTA.
Mrs. Rupert lives in Clifton, VA with her husband Greg and their family of five sons and furry friend, Rascal. She thanks you for the opportunity to serve you in this capacity and appreciates your support of these students’ musical endeavors. She is grateful to share her love of music with such talented and dedicated students and families.
Mr. Austin Isaac
Conductor - Philharmonic Orchestra
Austin Isaac is the high school orchestra director at Lake Braddock Secondary School since 2015. Prior to joining Lake Braddock, Austin taught orchestra at both the elementary and secondary levels in both public and private schools in Virginia, in addition to teaching privately.
Under his direction, the Lake Braddock Middle School Chamber Orchestra was invited to perform at the 2016 annual VMEA In-Service Conference and the Lake Braddock Symphony Orchestra was invited to perform at the 2020 Music For All National Orchestra Festival. Austin holds his bachelor’s degree from James Madison University with a concentration in instrumental education, and his master’s degree in education from George Mason University.
He has served as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator for honor orchestras and state assessment performances in various regions of Virginia. He is also a member of the artistic staff of The Capitol Symphonic Youth Orchestras, where he conducts the Philharmonic Orchestra. As a member of VBODA, Austin has served in various roles, including as a member of the Orchestra State Grading Committee and as a regional orchestra representative. He is currently the chairman of the orchestra sight reading committee for VBODA.
Austin enjoys writing original music and arrangements for a variety of ensembles. He has written works for string orchestra, full orchestra, band, and choir. His compositions have been featured as J.W. Pepper’s Editor’s Choice selections and have been published with Carl Fischer Publishing, Cane River Music, Zicato Music and Wingert-Jones Publishing, in addition to multiple self-published compositions. Austin lives in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife Nicole and their two cats Lychee and BK.
Dr. Mark Taylor
Conductor - Concert Orchestra
Mark A. Taylor is a musician with many interests. He is a composer, teacher, and cellist. While he has explored several genres, he is primarily an instrumental composer writing both professional and educational works. Compositions have earned awards for creativity, contributions to new music, and editor’s choice but the most rewarding part of writing for him is hearing performers bring the music to life and the impact on audience members. He enjoys collaborating with and often guest conducting the ensembles that commission him to write for their ensembles. In 2014, he earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Composition at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, studying under Dr. Glenn Smith.
Dr. Taylor teaches orchestra at Centreville High School in Clifton, VA. He has been named Teacher of the Year by the Virginia branch of the American Strings Teachers Association (VASTA), Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) for Region 5, and the Fairfax Arts Council for Education (FACE). Eric Whitacre featured Dr. Taylor as Teacher of the Week for his work with students on “The Gratitude Project” during the COVID pandemic. He has guest conducted across the Commonwealth of Virginia, presented research and given clinics on teaching composition and new music to fellow music educators, and taught elementary through graduate level students.
As a cellist, primary teachers include F. Wayne Taylor, Brigitta Gruenther and Loran Stephenson. He now maintains a private cello studio of his own. In addition to doing freelance cello work, Dr. Taylor plays in small chamber ensembles, is cellist for the Haase Quartet, and performs in the Friends and Family Chamber Orchestra under the direction of his father.
Dr. Taylor earned a Bachelor of Music degree from George Mason University with high distinction in 2002, receiving the Creativity in Music Award for his class. In 2004, he earned his Master of Music Education degree from Shenandoah Conservatory. The first D.M.A. Composition student to graduate from George Mason University, Dr. Taylor was also granted the Achievement Award at the College of Visual and Performing Arts Convocation in 2014. His work in research and composition has been presented at statewide music education conferences.
When he is not making music, Dr. Taylor enjoys spending time with his family and riding his bike wherever the roads might take him. While he once took an unsupported bike trip from Virginia to Alabama to raise scholarship money for his students, most trips encompass a much smaller radius. He, wife Holly, daughter Jacqueline, and son Curtis reside in Centreville, Virginia.
Mrs. Jennifer Herrera
Conductor - Prelude Orchestra
Jennifer Herrera has twenty years of music education experience working with students from 3rd to 12th grade in Hanover County and Fairfax County Public Schools. Throughout her career, and across all age levels, her ensembles have achieved outstanding ratings at judged performances, to include state assessments. She earned her Bachelor of Music from Virginia Commonwealth University. She currently teaches at Bailey’s Upper Elementary School for Arts and Sciences and co-teaches at Annandale High School.
Most recently, Ms. Herrera served as the orchestra director at West Springfield High School (2012–2024), a distinguished Blue Ribbon School. Under her leadership, the orchestra had the honor of performing at the White House on three different occasions, participating in the Stirling Arts Festival in Scotland, and representing the school at the NAfME Collegiate Advocacy Summit. In 2015, she conducted the Spartan Chamber Orchestra at Virginia’s Music Education Association (VMEA) Conference, showcasing the ensemble’s excellence on a statewide stage.
In 2021, Ms. Herrera served as a Co-Clinician and presenter at the NAfME Eastern Division Conference, leading a session titled "Empowering Music Communities through Culturally Responsive Teaching." She also presented at the 2024 VMEA Conference with her session, "Beyond the Score: The Journey of Learning, Where Every Step Counts," emphasizing the importance of student engagement and the learning process in music education.
Ms. Herrera believes that music is for everyone and is dedicated to building strong musical foundations while making learning a joyful experience. In her orchestra classroom, students not only develop their musical skills but also build meaningful connections, fostering a deep sense of self and community through music. Her passion for music extends to her own family—to include her husband and two daughters. When time allows, she enjoys playing the violin with the Capital City Symphony, continuing her own musical journey.
Mr. Kenneth Law
Director of Chamber Music
Although cellist Kenneth Law enjoys a diverse career as performer, teacher and author, he considers himself first and foremost a chamber musician. He is a member of the Main Street Chamber Players, and is a cellist with the Ritz Chamber Players, Colour of Music Festival and Gateways Music Festival. Abroad, Mr. Law has performed chamber music concerts at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Holland and Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, as well as concerts in England, France, Scotland, Panama and Puerto Rico. In the US, he has performed at the Washington Performing Arts Club, the Italian and German Embassies in Washington, D.C., the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Jazz at Lincoln Center Concert Series, Library of Congress in Washington, DC, Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall in New York City. He has collaborated with such artists as Earl Carlyss (Juilliard String Quartet), Michael Tree (Guarneri Quartet), Ying String Quartet, Norman Carroll (concertmaster emeritus, Philadelphia Orchestra) and violinist Diane Monroe, and has recorded orchestral and chamber music for Albany Records, and the New Albion and Telarc labels. In March of 2006, Mr. Law was featured on the nationally televised NAACP Image Awards as a member of the Ritz Chamber Players. In his home state of South Carolina, Mr. Law has performed at the Piccolo Spoleto Music Festival in Charleston, SC, as a member of the Converse Trio, and subsequently as a member of Ensemble Argos and the Polaris Piano Trio.
Along with co-author Dr. Christina Placilla, the publication, We Are The Music Makers: Volume I: A Graded Guide to Chamber Music- String Quartets was published in 2013, and is the first in a multivolume set that will cover the myriad combinations of chamber music. The guide serves as a resource for chamber music coaches when needing to assign repertoire to an ensemble whose individual members are of varying levels of proficiency.
Most recently, Mr. Law was invited to join the faculty of the New England Music Camp in Sidney, Maine for the 2022 summer season.
Mr. Jacob Harpster
Director of Percussion, Symphonic Orchestra
Percussion Ensemble
Jake Harpster currently holds the position of Percussionist/Assistant Principal Timpanist for The United States Army Concert Band “Pershing’s Own” in Washington, D.C.
As a performer, Harpster is known for his diverse background. In the Broadway idiom, Harpster has presented concerts across the globe. He was the featured marimba soloist and percussionist of the Tony and Emmy award-winning production “BLAST.” With this show, he toured the United States, South Korea, and all forty seven prefectures in Japan. As a soloist and chamber musician, Harpster has won many awards and international competitions, and has presented concerts throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. An enthusiast of contemporary music, he is actively commissioning and premiering many new works each year. Prior to his post in The United States Army Band, he served as a Percussionist in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and held the AACA Timpani Fellowship at the Aspen Music Festival.
As an educator, Harpster has taught many notable ensembles and schools across the country. Prior to his position in Washington DC with TCSYO, Harpster taught the percussionists of the DCI World Champion, and Fred Sanford Percussion Award-winning Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps. He has also instructed at the University of North Texas, Coppell High School (Coppell, TX), Center Grove High School (Indianapolis, IN), and Marian Catholic High School (Chicago, IL), among many others.
Harpster received his Master of Music in Percussion Performance with related-field work in Contemporary Music Performance from the University of North Texas. He served as a Teaching Fellow throughout his graduate studies. He received his Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Upon graduating from IU, Harpster was awarded the prestigious Performer's Certificate.
Dr. Margaret Owens
Director of Woodwinds, Symphonic Orchestra
In demand throughout North America as a performer and teacher on historical oboes, Margaret Owens has seen much of the country in her travels to play with groups spanning from San Francisco to Boston. She is on faculty in the historical performance institutes of Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University; at both institutions, her work centers around broadening the study of historical oboes, from playing the instruments to exploring the performance practices specific to the 18th century. Dr. Owens earned degrees in oboe performance at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, the Manhattan School of Music, and the City University of New York.
A native of Eastern North Carolina, Margaret lives in Northern Virginia and is an active participant in the musical life of the Washington, DC, where she plays in the area’s numerous period-instrument orchestras. Her summers are spent onstage at the Charlotte Bach Festival, the Connecticut Early Music Festival, the Staunton Music Festival, and teaching at the Amherst Early Music Festival.
Mr. Eric Hoang
Director of Brass, Symphonic Orchestra
Mr. Eric Hoang is a native of Falls Church, VA and earned his Bachelor of Music degree from George Mason University where he studied with Roger Behrend, Anthony Maiello and John Casagrande. He also holds a Master of Music degree in tuba performance from Ithaca College studying with Dr. Aaron Tindall.
Mr. Hoang started his teaching career as the assistant band director at Alexandria City High School in Alexandria, VA. He then served as Director of Bands at Gar-Field High School in Woodbridge, VA for four years and as associate band director at Robinson Secondary School. Mr. Hoang just completed his eighth year as Director of Bands at West Springfield High School in Springfield, VA. During his tenure at WSHS, the Wind Symphony performed as a featured ensemble at the Music for All National Concert Band Festival, the Virginia Music Educators Association Conference and the Mid-Atlantic Concert Band Festival. He was also the recipient of the 2016 West Springfield HS PTSA Teacher of the Year award.
Mr. Hoang has been involved in music education at all levels from elementary to collegiate during his career. He was also on the staff of the Youth Orchestras of Prince William serving as director of the Wind Symphony. He is a member of the National Association for Music Education, Virginia Music Educators Association, and Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society. Mr. Hoang currently resides in Centreville, VA with his wife Kailey and their beloved daughter Genevieve.
Mr. Brandon Gilbert
Director of Woodwinds, Philharmonic Orchestra
Brandon Gilbert is the Associate Band Director at Lake Braddock Secondary School, where he has been a member of the faculty since 2020. Mr. Gilbert assists in all aspects of the middle and high school band programs. His primary teaching responsibilities include directing the Lake Braddock Jazz Ensemble, a high school concert band, an 8th grade concert band, 7th grade band and ensembles, and co-directing the Lake Braddock Bruin Marching Band. He also teaches Advanced Placement Music Theory and works with the Lake Braddock Theatre as the pit orchestra director for musicals.
Prior to his arrival at Lake Braddock, Mr. Gilbert attended Tennessee Tech University, where he received a BM in Instrumental Music Education. While at Tennessee Tech, Mr. Gilbert was a saxophonist and clarinetist with the Tennessee Tech Symphony Band, Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, and the Troubadours Jazz Ensemble, and was an undergraduate teaching assistant, or “Black Jacket” for the Golden Eagle Marching Band.
Mr. Kevin Engdahl
Director of Brass, Philharmonic Orchestra
Kevin Engdahl has been the director at South County High School since 2015. He graduated from James Madison University in 2011, receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Music with a concentration in Education. He is also an alumni of South County, graduating in 2007 as a member of the first class. He currently resides in Springfield, Virginia.
Mr. Ben Bailey
Intern- Prelude Orchestra
Ben Bailey is a soon to be senior at Lake Braddock Secondary School. He plays double bass in Lake Braddock’s Symphony Orchestra and this year will be Ben’s eighth season with TCSYO.
In addition to orchestra, Ben is also in band and chorus. He has performed at All-State choir in 2024 and has been a member of All-District Orchestra, Chorus, and Band. Ben is on the student boards for chorus and orchestra and is also a member of his church’s youth choir.
Ben is looking forward to working with Prelude Orchestra this season and is planning on pursing a Music Education Degree in his post-secondary studies.