Our Team

Angela Burns has performed as a soloist and conductor worldwide before Presidents Bush, Carter, Clinton, and Obama and in the presence of one billion listeners on TV, broadcasts, and live recordings. She has worked with well-known conductors such as Craig Hella Johnson, John Rutter, Craig Jessop, Mack Wilberg, Anton Armstrong and Eric Whitacre to name a few. Until recent, she was the leader, conductor, a Mezzo-Soprano soloist, and choral member of the official chorus of the United States Air Force, The Singing Sergeants. Throughout her career she has soloed and conducted choirs before Presidents, Vice-Presidents, numerous Heads of State and in the company of thousands at the National and Regional American Choral Director Association conventions.

Ms. Burns’ diverse musical background has afforded her the opportunity to solo and work with vocal masters such as Renee and Rachelle Fleming on classical and Broadway techniques for professional singers and up and coming students. Having recently moved from Washington DC, she now resides in Wilmington NC, of which she is a native. Angela continues to perform with the Grammy award winning professional choir, Conspirare, in Austin, Texas as a choral member and Mezzo Soprano soloist. She is currently the choir director at St. Andrews-Covenant Presbyterian Church in Wilmington NC. In addition, Angela is the founder and Artistic Director of Wilmington Voices, New Hanover County’s premier professional vocal ensemble. The talented group performs various styles of music while bringing musical excellence to the local community and beyond.

In her downtime she enjoys hiking, traveling, gardening, and going to the beach with her husband Cory and their dog Linden.

Joey Clark is a musical theater and cabaret performer, director, and teaching artist. His work has been seen on the stages of The McCarter Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Nautilus Music Theatre, Bloomington Civic Theatre (Artistry), Park Square Theatre, Theatre Mu, Skylark Opera, Frank Theater, Theatre Latte Da, and the Ordway. Joey’s cabaret work began at NYC’s Duplex Cabaret Bar, and he has since gone on to direct, musical direct and perform in 60+ cabarets. He is a member of the Twin Cities Cabaret Artists Network (TCCAN). As an educator, Joey served as Musical Theatre Department Chair for Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists (SPCPA) and taught at the Children’s Theatre Company. He currently teaches a wide variety of classes, leads choruses, and produces Cabarets at senior residences through his partnerships with MacPhail Center for Music’s Music For Life Program and The History Theatre.  Recently, Joey created and directed “Holding On: Unexpected Stories from WWII” with a cast ranging in age from 9-92 years old, produced by Hero Now Theatre in Antonello Hall.  In 2022, Joey became the leader of the St. Paul Giving Voice Chorus for persons living with Alzheimer’s and their care partners.

Heather Fetrow studied conducting with the late Joseph Flummerfelt at Westminster Choir College and was selected from an international pool of candidates to study with Simon Carrington as conductor of a choral chamber ensemble in Sarteano, Italy.

She has conducted choirs and music directed shows at Christ Church United Methodist and The Browning School in New York City, The Hun School of Princeton, The Madeira School in McLean, Virginia, The Mustard Seed School in Hoboken, New Jersey and the Strathmore Children’s Choir’s Treble Chorus in Bethesda, Maryland. She served as conductor for El Sistema based choral groups in Queens, New York and had a leadership role in development on the board of Kinnara Ensemble, a professional choral ensemble now based in Atlanta, Georgia. She has sung with the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Washington National Opera Chorus, Maryland Lyric Opera Chorus and made her Carnegie Hall singing debut in An Evening of Opera. Choirs under her leadership have performed with the National Philharmonic and in collaboration with Capitol Harmonia.

She maintains an active private voice studio and sings regionally with opera companies, artist collectives, churches, and choral ensembles. Her debut album is distributed by Naxos Worldwide.

In her singing career, most notably she was the Italian Opera Diva Carlotta in the Broadway National Tour of The Phantom of the Opera, for over 1,000 performances, throughout the US and Canada. Favorite roles include Donna Anna and Pamina (Don Giovanni, Viterbo, Italy), Violetta (La Traviata) and Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro, both at Rogue and Tacoma Opera), and Musetta (La Boheme, Downtown Los Angeles).

As a concert soprano, she has performed live on KUSC Classical radio, with the South Coast Symphony, Marina Del Rey Orchestra, Orchestra del’ Lazio in Italy, at the Redlands Bowl, among others.

In the competition world, Jacquelynne was a Western Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and a winner of the Loren Zachary Grand National Finals. She was a semi-finalist in the International Competizione del’Opera in Dresden, and winner of the Palm Spring Opera Guild Competition, Burbank Phil, Rio Hondo, and National Association of Teachers of Singing’s “Singer of the Year”.

An award-nominated stage actress, Jacquelynne’s favorite roles include Anna (The King & I, Opera North), Charlotte (A Little Night Music, Indiana Repertory Theater), and Elsa (The Sound of Music, North Shore Musical Theater). Most recently, she was as Sister Claire in Bad Habits in Santa Monica, CA with the late Orson Bean.

Jacquelynne has also been a private voice instructor for the past 20 years. Her students range from 14 to 75 years old, and from absolute beginners and matching pitch to seasoned professionals at the top of their game. Most notably, she was the voice teacher for the Phantom, Christine, and Raoul while on the road. In addition to private voice lessons, Jacquelynne has given dozens of masterclasses to high school and college aged students, throughout the United States.

Fun fact: In 2006, she was awarded Miss California and placed in the top ten at Miss America 2007, winning the talent competition for her performance of “Vissi d’arte.”

Jacquelynne received her BA magna cum laude from California Lutheran University and Masters in Music from the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, completing two years of Doctoral study. While at USC she co-directed the USC Chamber Opera, and taught a children’s choir and music lessons to local elementary schools. She is delighted to continue her relationship with Encore Creativity and work with the wonderful singers in making beautiful music!

Stephen Harouff is the conductor for the Encore Chorale of Annapolis, the Encore Chorale of Baltimore, and the Encore Chorale of Columbia. He is also the Music Director and Organist at Towson Presbyterian Church. As a collaborative artist he has performed with the Annapolis Opera Company, Peabody Opera, the US Naval Academy Band and Annapolis Wind Symphony. He holds a Master of Music degree in Organ from Peabody Conservatory and has undergraduate degrees in music education and piano from West Virginia University.

Kathryn Harsha holds a Master of Music in Conducting from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance from Bluffton University. While studying at the Sorbonne in Paris, she served as Assistant Conductor of the Chorale des Étudiants Etrangères and studied conducting at the Messiaen Conservatoire in Saint-Maurice, France.

While living in Cleveland, Ms. Harsha served as Music Director and Conductor of the Lakeland Civic Orchestra and as the Music Director of Opera per Tutti, now the Cleveland Opera Theater. Kathryn has been the Music Director of the Sing Out! for Cleveland Rape Crisis Center Benefit since 2002, where the Visionary Voice award was named in her honor in 2018. These concerts have raised millions of dollars for the center, transforming its work and scope.

For the last four seasons, Kathryn served the Peabody Children’s Chorus in various capacities, beginning as Assistant Director and Accompanist, and later adding on the role of Chorus Manager. Prior to her work at Peabody, she was on the faculty at the Opus Community Music School, and served as Executive Director for five years, overseeing a significant transformation of the organization and expansion of musical opportunities for all ages.

She has conducted choruses and orchestras across the United States and performed in France, Italy, Austria, and Germany, recently conducting in Severance Hall and at the Kennedy Center. Kathryn is honored to serve as the Interim Artistic Director of the Alexandria Choral Society and Pro Coro Alexandria.

Kathryn directs the Schweinhaut and Rockville Chorales and Annapolis Rocks.

Jeanne Kelly is the founder of Encore Creativity for Older Adults, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing an excellent, accessible, and sustainable artistic environment for older adults over 55 years of age, either beginning, intermediate or advanced levels, who seek arts education and performance opportunities under a professional artist.

Jeanne Kelly’s career of over forty years has produced a unique blend of experience as a vocal performer, teacher, conductor and music administrator. She earned an undergraduate degree in voice performance and piano from the University of Findlay and a master’s degree in voice performance from the Peabody Conservatory.

As a performer, Ms. Kelly made her professional operatic debut with the Washington Opera at the Kennedy Center as Elizabetta in L’elisir d’amore. She has also performed major roles with the Baltimore Opera, Opera Delaware, Central City Opera, Tulsa Opera, Annapolis Opera where she performed the first opera the company produced, The Medium, and the New York City Opera Education Department. She appeared in the world premiere of Rappaccini’s Daughter with the Pennsylvania Opera Theater. Ms. Kelly has sung on the concert stage with the National Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Delaware Symphony, Allentown Symphony and Annapolis Symphony. Additionally, she has sung with the Berlin Brass Quintet, Bach Aria Group, St. Louis Bach Society, Bethlehem Bach Festival, Richmond Choral Arts Society, Annapolis Brass Quintet, Washington Bach Consort and the Monumental Brass Quintet.

Ms. Kelly’s expertise in vocal technique has been of benefit to students ranging from those preparing for professional vocal careers to those who simply enjoy music as a hobby. Ms. Kelly has served on the faculties of the Baltimore School for the Arts; Hood College in Frederick, MD; the United States Naval Academy and the Levine School of Music in Washington, DC. Ms. Kelly has also conducted workshops for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.

Joshua Konow is a graduate from the Cleveland Institute of Music with a Master of Music degree (2012) in piano performance. Joshua’s music endeavors include conducting, solo and chamber music performance, musical theater directing, and piano teaching. Joshua Konow spent five seasons as Music Director for the TrueNorth Chamber Orchestra on the west side of Cleveland and two seasons as Principal Conductor for the Solon Philharmonic Orchestra. Additionally, Mr. Konow is the full-time Director of Music Ministries at Federated Church UCC in Chagrin Falls, Ohio where he also is the Artistic Director of their vibrantly growing Performing Arts Series. Prior to moving to Cleveland in 2010, Joshua attended the Manhattan School of Music earning a Bachelor of Music degree, also in piano performance. Joshua continually seeks to inspire the hearts and minds of fellow musicians, students, and audiences alike in the search for a deeper, more personal meaning behind all music.

Joshua has performed and led ensembles in Italy, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and in many concert halls throughout America as well as for numerous distinguished concert artists. In the summers of 2014 and 2015, Mr. Konow had the honor of conducting the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic in Zlin, Czech Republic and the New Symphony Orchestra in Sofia, Bulgaria both under the tutelage of conductors Larry Rachleff and Donald Schleicher. Joshua’s conducting teachers have also included David Gilbert and Carl Topilow. Mr. Konow’s piano teachers have included Dmitri Novgorodsky, Anthony Padilla, Arkady Aronov and Antonio Pompa-Baldi. Music is his absolute passion. Mr. Konow currently resides in Twinsburg, Ohio with his wife Rebecca and their energetic five-year old daughter.

She spent three years as the Voice Department Chair of the Merit School of Music, a community music school that serves over six thousand students with a focus on underserved communities.

Collaborating with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, she worked with Renée Fleming to develop curriculum for Merit’s Solo Voice Program, and her choir performed both for and with Ms. Fleming for special events.

Dr. Lestrud has served on the faculty of several colleges in the midwest and on the east coast, leading both choral and orchestral programs. Formerly the Principal Associate Conductor of the Grammy award-winning National Children’s Chorus, she worked with some of the finest young singers in the nation, preparing them for concerts at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the Kennedy Center. Dr. Lestrud is currently the Artistic Director of the Arlington Chorale, an auditioned community chorus in Arlington, VA. For Encore Creativity, she conducts the Arlington Encore Chorale and the Glen Echo Chorale.

Ms. Maguire teaches choral music at Henry E. Lackey High School in Charles County Public Schools where she directs Women’s Choir, Concert Choir, Men’s Choir, Chamber Choir and teaches Class Piano. In addition, Ms. Maguire currently serves as department chair for performing arts at Henry E. Lackey High School and is in her seventh year overseeing all vocal teachers as Coordinator and Lead teacher for performing arts in Charles County Public Schools. She also partnered with Anne Arundel County Public Schools to rewrite the curriculum for middle and high school choral music. She has had the pleasure of serving as an adjudicator and guest clinician in several counties around the state including Anne Arundel, Baltimore County, Calvert County, Charles County, Montgomery County, St. Mary’s County and is proud to have been nominated for the 2019 Washington Post Teacher of the Year.

In addition to her role with public education, she serves as an adjunct professor at the College of Southern Maryland where she directs the Chamber Choir, Chorale and teaches Music Appreciation. Ms. Maguire also taught Middle School choir for several years. Under her leadership, her choirs have received first place, overall highest score, and consistent superior ratings at local, district and state Festivals and Assessments. She is honored and excited to have the opportunity to serve as a director for Encore!

Darius Sanders is an African-American singer, conductor, and dreamer from Chicago, Illinois. As a singer, he won third place in the regional round of the NATS National Student Auditions in 2020 and was a national qualifier. He has also done roles in multiple operas including the Prologue in Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, Lord Arturo in Gaetano Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Lippo Fiorentino in Kurt Weil’s Street Scene, and various other lead roles in opera scenes.

He served as Director of Music for both Ascension Lutheran Church and Ascension Lutheran Day School in Landover Hills, MD from 1995 to 2012. From 2006 through 2019, he served as the Artistic Director and Conductor of the 100-voice Congressional Chorus in Washington, DC. He became the Founding Artistic Director of American Youth Chorus in 2008 and the founding director of the 24 member a cappella Congressional Chamber Ensemble in 2012, the same year he assumed the leadership of the NorthEast Senior Singers. From 2017 through the summer of 2021, David served as the Organist and Choir Director for Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, DC. From September of 2019 through August of 2021, David served as an Encore conductor in the DC region and then as the Associate Artistic Director of Encore Creativity. In September of 2021 accepted the appointment as the Director of Music for the historic Trinity Episcopal Church in Wilmington, Delaware. An accomplished pianist and church organist, David has been playing professionally since the age of 14. David conducted for many DC area companies including the Washington National Opera, The Capital City Symphony and the Washington Savoyards, at numerous venues, including The White House, US Capitol Building, State Department, Library of Congress, National Archives, The National Building Museum, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Round House Theater, the Harman Center for the Arts, the National Theatre, the Alden Theater, the Gildenhorn Theater, The Katzen Center for the Arts, Arena Stage, and the Atlas Performing Arts Center. In addition, he worked in the education and outreach programs of numerous choral organizations, including The Washington Chorus and the Choral Arts Society of Washington. David is excited to be returning to the Encore roster of conductors as he establishes Encore’s inaugural presence in “The First State.”

Taking up the violin at an early age, Gian-Philip studied piano and composition at the Mannes College of Music in New York City. He then continued his studies in orchestral conducting at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna, Austria. In 2005 he became the conducting assistant of Kurt Masur at the London Philharmonic, and soon after, was appointed associate conductor of the National Orchestre de France in Paris. In May 2006 he made his highly acclaimed debut at Radio France, conducting a performance and live broadcast of the Grieg Piano Concerto with the Orchestre National de France and pianist Nelson Freire. During his tenure in Paris he collaborated with such distinguished artists as Anne-Sophie Mutter, Victoria Mullova, Yo-Yo Ma, Barbara Hannigan, Detlef Roth, Bryn Terfel, and composer Henri Dutilleux.

Gian-Philip has led performances at numerous music festivals throughout Europe, including the Lucerne, Rheingau, and Ravenna festivals as well as the BBC Proms. He has also conducted at such renowned venues as the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Berliner Philharmonie, and the Musikverein in performances with the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Jenaer Philharmonie, and the Sinfonietta Baden.

Gian-Philip is also a passionate choral conductor and singer, leading a variety of choirs and chamber ensembles in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. He feels equally at home working in a wide variety of styles, from the great works of the Renaissance masters on through to the latest arrangements of modern classics.

In addition to performing, Gian-Philip has served on the music faculty of the Mannes College of Music, and lectured at the Dauphine University in Paris and the Royal College of Music in London.

Julie Huang Tucker is a choral musician and keyboard artist who serves as Music Director at First Presbyterian Church of Arlington. She was a fellow at Yale’s Norfolk Chamber Music Festival and SHIFT Festival of American Orchestra’s Symphonic Workshop. During her tenure as Music Coordinator at the Amy Biehl Foundation Trust in South Africa, she directed prison and township choirs. She has also led various youth ensembles, including Cantus Liberi, the Holton-Arms School, and Bel Canto Tuscany Opera Festival.

Julie is the Associate Director and Accompanist of the Washington Men’s Camerata, and Accompanist of the Washington Douglass Chorale and the Arlington Chorale. As an organist, she has performed on the Kennedy Center Concert Hall stage with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Choral Arts Society of Washington, and the Washington Chorus. Additionally, she has worked with The Washington Bach Consort, Choralis, and the Children’s Chorus of Washington. She serves as the pianist for QuinTango, an internationally-touring chamber tango ensemble that is active in education and community outreach.

When not performing or teaching music, Julie enjoys talking about it as an on-air host at WETA Classical, 90.9 FM.