As an accompanist, Amy has accompanied numerous All-County, District, and All-State choral festivals and competitions in Pennsylvania, New York, and Virginia. As a saxophonist, Amy has performed with the Rappahannock Pops Orchestra, Fredericksburg Jazz Ensemble, and plays saxophone and keyboards for Alias, a local dance and wedding horn band.
Amy has served as Organist and Choir Director at numerous churches throughout Pennsylvania, New York, and Virginia beginning at age 14. Some of the positions include the Mountaintop Presbyterian Church in Mountaintop, PA, Griffis Air Force Base in Rome, NY, and Trinity Lutheran Church in Utica, NY. She currently serves as Organist at the Fredericksburg Presbyterian Church.
At the Encore Music Camp of PA, Amy taught piano classes and accompanied several choirs, soloists, and theater groups. She has served as an adjudicator for piano Festivals and competitions in both New York state and Virginia. Amy performs regularly as both a soloist and accompanist in the Fredericksburg area. Professional affiliations include VFMC, MTNA, and the Rappahannock Music Society. Amy is also the author of several early level methods for rhythm and music literacy.
B.M. in music performance, West Virginia University; M.M. in music performance, Duquesne University; studied with Dr. Virginia Thompson and William Caballero; performances with Arion Band, American Musical Ambassadors-European Concert Tour, Duquesne Wind Symphony, Symphony Orchestra, Contemporary ensemble, chamber ensemble, WVU Horn Choir, Carnegie Hall concert with Duquesne wind symphony, International Horn Society Collegiate Horn Choir, Potomac Concert Band, Johnstown Symphony Orchestra, Seneca Chamber Winds, West Virginia University Wind Symphony, Symphony Orchestra, Chamber winds ensemble, jazz band. Currently performing as Principal Horn in The Mary Washington Orchestra, section Horn in the Old Bridge Chamber Orchestra, and third Horn in the Washington Sinfonietta out of D.C. Active private lesson teacher at Forte Studios and schools around the area.
Career highlights include being a founding member of The Dallas Brass (6 years), an artist in residence at Southern Methodist University and a clinician for Yamaha Band Instrument Corporation. Gary has been a finalist in national and international Jazz Improvisation competitions and an Adjunct Professor of Music at Virginia Commonwealth University. Other featured ensembles include Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians, The Dallas Cowboy's Band (6 seasons), The Collection Jazz Orchestra and The Swing of Things Big Band directed by Don "Jake" Jacoby.
Gary has appeared with and/or the opening act for Bob Hope, Spyro Gyra, Cleo Laine, Loretta Lynn, Dr. John, Bill Monroe, Judy Collins, James Moody, Charlie Pride, Steve Allen, Lou Marini, The Light Crust Doughboys and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band to name a few.
Current ensembles include The Difficult Run Jazz Band, The Rappahannock Pops Orchestra, The Aaron Noe Jazz Orchestra, The Touch of Jazz Big Band, The Fredericksburg Big Band, The Sheiks of Dixie, The Gangplank Ragtime Band and the David Wright Trad Jazz Combo plus numerous other ensembles from Washington D.C. to Baltimore and Richmond. Gary is currently the Adjunct Professor of Low Brass at The University of Mary Washington while also teaching Low Brass at Roberson's Music in Fredericksburg, Virginia where he lives with his wife, Charlene, and their three daughters.
In January 2009, he traveled with his piano trio, The Tappan Trio, to teach, give master classes, and perform at the Franz Liszt Conservatory in Quito, Ecuador. He gave lectures on technique, ensemble playing, and on applying to conservatories, universities, and summer music programs in the US. He was also responsible for restructuring the piano program at the conservatory by creating a piano literature class and instituting a piano ensemble class. An invitation was extended for this coming January to return to teach and perform with their national symphony orchestra.
This summer, he will attend the New York Summer Music Festival as a teaching assisstant and the staff pianist. He is scheduled to coach chamber ensembles, perform solo and collaborative works, as well as present a lecture series in the piano technique class titled "Stand, Walk, and Run... a Hierarchy of Movement at the Piano."
His principal studies at the Oberlin Conservatory are with Robert Shannon, the Director of the Keyboard Department and Alvin Chow, the Chair of Piano. He has participated in master classes with renowned pianists and pedagogues Ann Schein, Barry Douglas, Natalya Antonova, Boris Slutsky, Christina Dahl, Herbert Stessin, James Giles as well as chamber master classes with Anner Byslma, Amir Eldan, and Kirsten Doctor. His conducting studies include Jonathan Strasser (New York), and Bridget Reischl (Oberlin). Summer studies include Eastern Music Festival and Hartwick College Summer Music Festival and Institute. Additional studies at Oberlin with Philip Highfill, Professor of Vocal Accompanying. Fellenberg holds a precollege diploma from the Manhattan School of Music and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.
Owner of Forte Music Studios; Private instructor, 10 years; Theory and conducting studies at MWC; Applied studies with members of the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, NSO and master classes with world renowned cellist; Performances with PWSO, MWC Orchestra, RPO, select quartet and chamber ensembles, Chamber Chorale of Fredericksburg.
Tina was an alternate finalist for the YouTube Symphony competition, 2009. She was a winner of the National Flute Association's Convention Performers Competition, 2006. She performs regularly as soloist and in chamber ensembles for recitals that to date have benefitted the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ("Lou Gehrig's disease") Association, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and the American Red Cross.
While a member of the Marine Forces Pacific Band in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, with whom Tina toured Australia and New Zealand, she served as woodwind section commander and solo flutist. She performs regularly with the Virginia Grand Military Band (Sudler Silver Scroll Recipient, 2000), with whom she has recorded on numerous live concerts, as well as the soundtrack for the Bill moyers PBS documentary "America's First River; the Hudson." She is principal flute and the Artistic Planning Committee chair for the Spotswood Community Orchestra and she has also performed with the Woodbridge Flute Choir.
Tina studied with Jean Ferrandis at Accademia Internazionale di Musica di Cagliari in September, 2007. She is a former student of Thomas Robertello (flutist and art gallery owner), Joel Behrens, Jean Harling, and Lynn Hertel, and has studied in masterclasses and lessons with Gary Schocker, Laurie Sokoloff, Tadeo Coelho, William Montgomery, and Robert Willoughby. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Millersville University.
The solo sounds of Noe's trumpet have been heard through out the United States. He is in demand as a free- lance artist, concert soloist, and band leader.
As a free-lance artist, his sound has been heard in concert with such artists as Freddie Cole, the Jimmy Dorsey Big Band, and the Okayssions. He can also be heard on Keith Wesby's latest CD Once and Again.
As a band leader, you can find Aaron Noe leading his Big Band, the Aaron Noe Jazz Orchestra and his quartet,the Aaron Noe Jazz 4, in performances at a variety of venues. The Aaron Noe Jazz Ensembles have been featured at some of the finest jazz clubs and festivals.
Aaron Noe is currently the Director of Bands at King George High School in King George, VA. He has held this position since the Spring of 2002. During his tenure, Noe has seen the ensembles grow both musically and in size to become recognized as a Superior ensemble at both State and National events. In 2006, the King George Royal Regiment won its first national marching band title (class 1A) at the USSBA All-States Championships in Hershey, PA.
Before joining the faculty at King George High School, Noe held positions at secondary schools in Virginia and South Carolina and directed the Swing Shift Jazz Ensemble at the University of South Carolina. Aaron Noe has also served on the faculty of the Rappahannock Music Camp since 2004.
Aaron Noe holds degrees from Greensboro College (BS, Music Education) and Virginia Commonwealth University (MM, Music Education, jazz emphasis). Aaron Noe has studied trumpet and jazz with Rex Richardson, Roger Pemberton, Bert Ligon, Keith Amstutz, Anita Cirba, and Neil Clegg. Aaron Noe is a member of the Intenational Association for Jazz Education, Music Educators National Conference, and the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association.
B.A. Music, Mary Washington College, M.S.Ed, Troy University. Currently teaches Elementary and High School Orchestras in Saint Mary's County, MD. His Leonardtown High School Chamber Orchestra consistently earns Superior ratings at competitions and district and state festivals. In 2009, they were one of only five orchestras in the state to earn a Superior Rating at the State Orchestra Festival on Grade VI music. He has adjudicated Solo & Ensemble festivals and auditions for All-County, Tri-County, and All-State Orchestras in Maryland. He has conducted Elementary and Middle School All-County Honors Orchestras and serves as the co-director of Orchestras for the Saint Mary's County Summer Fine Arts Camp.
B.S. Music Education and Performance, Ithaca College. Founder, Lead Man and performer in Alias. Instrumental Music Director, Louisa High School; Performances with the Rappahannock Pops Orchestra, Fredericksburg Big Band. Lead Alto Saxophone in Grammy-Nominated Jan Lewan Orchestra; Voting member of NARAS; Recital Soloist.
Since becoming a free-lance bassist in 2005, Ben has developed a reputation as a jazz, blues, and rock bassist in the Central and Northern Virginia areas. He has shared the stage with the great tenor saxophonist James Moody, opened for Edwin McCain and Jimmie's Chicken Shack, and performed with a number of local legends, including about half of the RSMC staff. He is also a full time bassist for a number of established groups in the Fredericksburg area.
Ben currently is the Director of Bands and Instrumental Music at Fredericksburg Academy, an independent school in Fredericksburg, VA. He is the first full-time director that the school has had, and since starting in 2007, the program has tripled in size and quality alike. In 2009, the concert band competed for the first time at Music in the Parks in Williamsburg, VA, and received 1st Place in its class (A Division). Ben has also added a rock ensemble to the Academy that has grown into a viable performing group performing anything from Blink 182 to the Eagles, in addition to writing and performing original music.
Aside from the Academy, Ben teaches private lessons on bass, guitar, and clarinet at Roberson's Music in Fredericksburg and throughout the Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, and Stafford areas.
Katherine Valadez is an active musician and flute teachers in Fredericksburg, Virginia. In addition to the Rappahannock Summer Music Camp, she teaches flute at Roberson's Music and The Music Studio in Stafford. Katherine recently won first place at the Flute Society of Washington's Wallace Mann Orchestral Audition Competition. She has performed in masterclasses for Paul Edmund-Davies, Carol Wincenc, Thomas Robertello, Carolyn Christie, and George Pope. In 2007 she attended the Brevard Music Center in Brevard, NC. She holds a Master of Music in Orchestral Flute Performance from McGill University in Montreal and a Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance (Magna cum Laude) from Arizona State University. Her principal teachers include Timothy Hitchens (Principal of Montreal Symphony), Dr. Elizabeth Buck (former principal of Phoenix Symphony), and Brian Gordon (piccolo of Pheonix Symphony).
