Our People

David Glover became the conductor of Triangle Youth Philharmonic in January 2019. Most recently, Glover was the Associate Conductor of the North Carolina Symphony. With the North Carolina Symphony, Glover led numerous high profile concerts including a last minute performance of Carmina Burana, stepping in for Music Director Grant Llewellyn, the opening classical concert of the Symphony’s new hall in Wilmington, NC, and two state-wide tours. Mr. Glover has worked with many of this generation’s top artists including Stefan Jackiw, Di Wu, Conrad Tao, and Caroline Shaw as well as Pops artists such as Time for Three, Pink Martini, and the Indigo Girls. Prior to his position with the North Carolina Symphony, Glover served as the Assistant Conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and as theArtistic Director of the Wabash Valley Youth Symphony in West Lafayette, IN. Also dedicated to educating the next generation of concert goers, Glover has created a series of successful school-day education shows which in the past six years has reached over 200,000 elementary school children. Glover has guest conducted numerous other orchestras including the Charlotte Symphony, Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, South Bend Symphony, Muncie (IN) Symphony, and the North Czech Philharmonic. In addition, Glover was awarded the Ansbacher Fellowship to the Salzburg Festival and was an adjunct professor at Indiana University in 2007, leading the Indiana University All-Campus Orchestra.Glover holds degrees from the University of Georgia and Boston University in violin performance, and a master’s degree in instrumental conducting from Indiana University. He lives in Cary, NC with his wife Emily, a violinist with the North Carolina Symphony, and their daughter Maia.

Lisa Burn is a music educator based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Ms. Burn, originally from Wilmington, North Carolina, studied Trumpet Performance at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, PA. Upon graduation she joined the Winnipeg Symphony in Canada Utility Trumpet. While there, she developed a private trumpet studio and began working as a trumpet clinician for music educators. In 2003, she accepted a position as Band Director of the Franklin Academy in Wake Forest, North Carolina where she developed both the concert and jazz band to levels of distinction; the Franklin Academy Jazz Band was recognized as the “Outstanding Band” of the 2009 North Carolina Regional Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival at UNC Chapel Hill. Since 2012 Ms. Burn has helped build the Triangle Youth Philharmonic Jazz Program and is currently the director of the Triangle Youth Jazz Orchestra. In February of 2020, The Triangle Youth Jazz Orchestra was selected as the “Outstanding Community Band” at the North Carolina Regional Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival at UNC Chapel Hill. Ms Burn was honored to participate as a guest director with Ligon Jazz Ensemble’s performance at the 2019 International Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic; Ligon Jazz Ensemble is the first jazz ensemble to represent North Carolina at this prestigious annual event. Ms. Burn is excited for the opportunity to serve as the 2021 North Carolina All State Jazz Clinician this May. In addition, Ms. Burn maintains a successful private brass studio, serves as a music education clinician for the Triangle area (including Director of the Wiley Elementary Band), and engages as a freelance trumpeter, performing as Principal Cornet of The Triangle Brass Band.

Meaghan Clayton grew up in Greensboro, NC and started learning cello at a young age with Scott Walker.  She played with her high school orchestra and the Greensboro Symphony Youth Orchestra. Ms. Clayton earned a Bachelor of Music degree with an emphasis in Music Education from Meredith College and studied cello with Virginia Hudson and violin with Dana Freidli. She served as principal cellist of the Meredith College String Orchestra for 4 years, and also performed with the Raleigh Civic Symphony, Raleigh Symphony Orchestra, and numerous other small ensembles. While an orchestra teacher for Wake County Public School System middle and high schools, her groups consistently earned high marks. Currently, Ms. Clayton is focusing on teaching a full private studio of string students, arranging music, serving in the music ministry at her church and raising three of her own young musicians!

Dr. Gregg Gelb is a saxophonist and clarinetist and he leads many different jazz groups: his Jazz Quartet, La Fiesta Latin Jazz Band, Second Line Stompers, and Swing Band. He is founder and director of the Heart of Carolina Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Society and co-founder and player with the North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra. His groups have recorded over a dozen CD’s. Gregg often performs on saxophone with the North Carolina Symphony. He is a recipient of a Jazz Composers Award from the North Carolina Arts Council and four Regional Artist grants from the Fayetteville/Cumberland County Arts Council.  He has a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Berklee College of Music, a Master of Music degree from the UNC School of the Arts, and a DMA from UNC Greensboro. In addition to a busy performing schedule Gregg loves teaching, especially the fine young students in TYJE!

Click here to watch an interview with Dr. Gelb.

Matthew Holt currently serves as one of the Orchestra Directors at Durham School of the Arts alongside co-director Joey Walker. He previously served for five years as the Director of Orchestras at Pinecrest High School in Southern Pines, North Carolina. In 2015, Mr. Holt received his Bachelor of Music in music education from Susquehanna University with a dual focus in baroque cello and conducting. Mr. Holt has conducted in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, North Carolina, and Texas. Collaboration is a central part of his vision in education. Professional musicians he has invited to work with his students include Associate Conductor Wesley Shultz and Associate Principal Second Violin David Kilbride of the North Carolina Symphony, Scott Laird, Jim Waddelow, Yang Xi, Petia Radneva-Manolova, Lauren Alter, Alice Ju, Casey Spillman, Kevin Giraldi, Rebecca MacLeod, David Michael Wolff, and many others. In spring of 2020, Mr. Holt received the North Carolina Symphony Musician’s Award to become the Honoree for 2019-2020.

Tim Kohring is looking forward to another fantastic year as the Triangle Youth Orchestra conductor. He was excited to return back to his musical roots with Triangle Youth Music, having played in TYP and TYS during his years at Leesville High School. Mr. Kohring received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he also studied conducting with Mr. Tonu Kalam and Dr. Michael Votta. He then completed a Master’s in Arts in Teaching from the UNC-CH School of Education. Mr. Kohring has been on the faculty of Wakefield Middle, North Garner Middle and Rolesville Middle Schools. In 2017 he became the Band Director at Rolesville High School. He can be seen from time to time playing with various community ensembles as a tuba player. Mr. Kohring is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the North Carolina Bandmasters Association, and the North Carolina Music Educators Association.

Myriah Luke graduated from Meredith College in 2017 with a degree in music education, concentrating in cello which she studied with Virginia Ewing Hudson. She is the orchestra director at Rolesville High School and was awarded the Diane Kent-Parker First-Year Teacher award in 2018. She is the current chair of the WCPSS section of orchestra teachers and is on the board of directors for Community Music School. She has appeared as guest conductor for the Triangle Community Orchestra and the Meredith College Sinfonietta. During her tenure as a cellist in the Philharmonic Association from 2009 – 13, she performed in the Triangle Youth Orchestra, Triangle Youth Symphony, and Triangle Youth Philharmonic.

Joseph Peters is currently Associate Principal Oboe and English horn with the North Carolina Symphony and conductor of the Taneycomo Festival Orchestra. He previously held Principal Oboe chairs with the Minnesota Orchestra and Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and has performed as guest principal with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, The Florida Orchestra, and the Quad City Symphony Orchestra. He has performed with diverse ensembles throughout the country including the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Marlboro Music Festival, Oregon Bach Festival, Lakes Area Music Festival, National Repertory Orchestra and the National Orchestral Institute. For three years he was a member of the New World Symphony in Florida. Peters first appeared with the Minnesota Orchestra at age 18, performing Mozart’s Oboe Concerto. As a soloist, he has also appeared with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, New World Symphony, Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Saint Paul Civic Symphony, Wayzata Symphony Orchestra, and the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies, of which he is an alumnus. As a conductor, Peters was Music Director of the SUNY Buffalo State Philharmonia Orchestra and the Saybrook College Orchestra of Yale. He has conducted Holiday Pops concerts at the North Carolina Symphony and is a frequent guest at the New World Symphony, where he has led diverse programs including children’s concerts, chamber opera and a collaboration with the Miami City Ballet. He recently conducted a performance of Henze’s Kammermusik 1958 at Marlboro Music Festival. Peters has been on the oboe or conducting faculty of institutions including the National Youth Orchestra of the USA, SUNY Buffalo State, SoBe Institute of the Arts, and has conducted side-by-side concerts for New World Symphony’s MusicLab program. His conducting mentors include Michael Tilson Thomas, James Patrick Miller and Toshiyuki Shimada.

Brandon Rich is a North Carolina native with over ten years in music education. Mr. Rich began piano and percussion in middle school, and was involved with marching band, rock bands, and the DCI drum and bugle corps throughout his youth. The year after graduating high school Brandon became Director of the Marching Band at Wake Christian Academy, and stayed busy teaching several other percussion ensembles, marching bands, jazz bands, and private students at various schools through college. Brandon initially started at North Carolina Central University studying the drum set, but fell in love with the vibraphone after seeing Stefon Harris perform as a guest artist at NCCU. During his time at NCCU, Brandon had the honor of sharing the stage with renowned musicians such as Branford Marsalis, Maceo Parker, Benny Golson, Joe Chambers, Wallace Roney, and Joey Calderazzo. He graduated from North Carolina Central University with a B.A. in Music Education and a B.M. in Jazz Studies. Over time Brandon has realized that he enjoys the learning process just as much as playing music, so he is known to play a wide variety of instruments and styles, and he loves to share this passion with the next generation. He hopes that through performance and education he can raise cultural awareness and help restore the presence of Jazz and American music in our communities.

Kobie Watkins has a well established international career as a jazz drummer having played with some of the top artists in the field including Branford Marsalis, John Scofield, Joe Lovano, Roy Hargrove, Christian McBride, and Jim Hall, as well as extensive touring with Kurt Elling (2005 – 2014) and Sonny Rollins (2006 – 2012).He is a graduate of the VanderCook College of Music and Northwestern University School of Music. Mr. Watkins is also highly sought as both an instrumental and ensemble teacher. He has worked for the Ravinia Festival School Jazz Scholar Program, Chicago State University, ArtsWest Performing and Visual Arts School, Brigham Young University – Idaho and Hall International Academy among others. He has also given jazz clinics and master classes locally at Sharp Nine, University of North Carolina Jazz Camp, St. Mary Magdalene School, Cary Academy, and Broughton High.

Cellist Jacob Wenger is a native of Raleigh and a former Principal in the Triangle Youth Philharmonic. He received an undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and a Masters degree from Manhattan School of Music. Mr. Wenger currently holds positions in the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle, the Tar River Philharmonic, and the North Carolina Theatre pit orchestra. He performs regularly with touring Broadway productions at the Durham Performing Arts Center. Mr. Wenger has also performed with the “Requiem for Darfur” Orchestra in Carnegie Hall, an orchestra which included some of the best orchestral and chamber musicians in the United States. He maintains a studio at North Raleigh School of Music. He is also on the faculty of UNC-Wilmington, and Ravenscroft School. Mr. Wenger studied privately with Margo Drakos, Zvi Plesser, Marcy Rosen, and Jonathan Kramer. He has also studied chamber music with Robert Mann, the founding first violinist of the Juilliard String Quartet, as well as Sylvia Rosenberg and Jeffrey Cohen.

Sarah Whitney is an arts administrator with over 20 years of experience in music education. After receiving her undergraduate degree in Business Administration from James Madison University, Ms. Whitney began her career in the Education Department at Carnegie Hall. From there, she moved on to teach strings and general music in New York City's Washington Heights for several different elementary schools and after-school programs. She then returned to Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute as a Teacher Trainer and Curriculum Consultant for their elementary school program LinkUP!, where she had the opportunity to travel, teaching and learning from students all over the country. After completing her graduate degree in Arts Administration from Columbia University, Ms. Whitney became the Director of Operations for the School for Strings in New York City. Upon arrival to the North Carolina Triangle, she was the Assistant Director of Business and Finance for Duke University's Center for Activities & Events and is now proud to serve Triangle Youth Music as their Executive Director. As a former member of the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra, she continues to play violin and viola and enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters.

Katherine Denton is an arts administrator with a Bachelor’s in Arts Administration from Elon University, and a Master’s degree in Arts Administration from Drexel University. She has been working in the Triangle Arts industry for nearly five years, most recently working with the North Carolina Symphony. Katherine is a North Carolina native who currently resides in Cary with her husband and toddler. While Katherine does not (unforunately), know how to play any instruments herself, she has been a lifelong supporter of the arts in every aspect, be it on stage or behind the scenes!

Hugh Partridge was asked to become the Triangle Youth Philharmonic Conductor in 1988, by the young musicians who founded the organization. He led Triangle Youth Music as Artistic Director and TYP Conductor for over 30 years. Hugh’s long career as a professional musician included serving as the Principal Viola of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Santa Fe Opera and the North Carolina Symphony (1976 – 2006). He served on the faculty of Butler University, Wichita State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2003, Hugh Partridge was the recipient of the Raleigh Medal of Arts in recognition of his “extraordinary achievement in the Arts”. In 2005 he was the recipient of the Maxine Swalin Outstanding Music Educator Award, presented by the North Carolina Symphony. In 2018 he received the Business Support of the Arts award in the Arts Education category by the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County. We are forever grateful to Hugh for the boundless energy and talent that he devoted to music and music education, for his tireless work toward the development of the next generation of young musicians, and for his meticulous passion for excellence.