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Staff and Conductors
PETER WILSON Peter Wilson is an engaging and multifaceted American violinist and conductor whose musicianship has been noted as “first-class” by The Washington Post. He currently serves as Music Director of the Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra and has conducted the National Symphony Orchestra as well as the National Gallery Orchestra. Highly respected throughout the Nation’s Capital, he has served as a violinist of The White House for nearly two decades and is an active chamber musician, concertmaster, recording artist, and performance clinician throughout the United States. He holds music degrees from Northwestern University and The Catholic University of America where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts. Dr. Wilson began his professional career as Concertmaster of the Walt Disney World Orchestra. For over 12 years, he served as a lecturer at Catholic University where he was Resident Conductor of the CU Symphony Orchestra while teaching courses on podium conducting and string techniques. He is in great demand for his skills and versatility, commanding respect in genres ranging from classical and jazz to country, folk, and pop/rock. He has appeared as a violin soloist with such renowned artists as Rosemary Clooney, Michael Feinstein, Renée Fleming, Bernadette Peters, Randy Travis, Chely Wright, and Trisha Yearwood. He has performed chamber music in concert with Ida Kavafian, Steven Tenenbom, and Peter Wiley. In 2001, he soloed at the personal invitation of former Defense Secretary William Cohen for a private book-signing event honoring Quincy Jones and the release of his autobiography “Q.” In addition, he has soloed in many unique venues including the Presidential Retreat at Camp David, the Vatican before Pope John Paul II, the American Embassy in Paris, and Chicago’s Comiskey Park, where he performed his arrangement of The Star-Spangled Banner to open a Major League Baseball game. He also performed the arrangement to kick off the 2009 Leukemia Ball in Washington, DC. As a studio musician, he has recorded countless jingles and has soloed on many albums including Eddie From Ohio’s “IRODEFIDOHOME.” In addition, he has performed with orchestras backing up such legends as Beyoncé, Ray Charles, Josh Groban, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Johnny Mathis, and Joni Mitchell, as well as Jimmy Page and Robert Plant in their Zeppelin UnLEDed World Tour. He has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra of Washington, DC, has served as a concertmaster for the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, and recently appeared on HBO as a member of the orchestra that supported the “We Are One” concert at the Lincoln Memorial, which kicked off the Inaugural week of President Barack Obama. Most recently, Dr. Wilson performed with Stevie Wonder in a 21-piece orchestra at the Library of Congress in the World Premiere of Mr. Wonder’s “Sketches of a Life.” Dr. Wilson is a founding member of the highly acclaimed string duo, Bridging the Gap®, in which he performs with double bassist Aaron Clay. Hailed by The Washington Post for “superior arrangements and uncommon musicianship,” the unique duo performs works covering a wide range of musical styles in venues from private homes and schools to concert halls and stadiums. They released their first CD in 2003 and have become frequent guests of the Millennium Stage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. In 2004, Wilson and Clay were honored by their home state when each received the Music Award by the Arts and Humanities Commission of Fairmont, West Virginia in recognition of their “outstanding leadership and devotion to the enhancement of the arts.” The diplomatic duo has appeared at the White House and frequently performs after-dinner entertainment at the homes of members of Congress and The Cabinet as well as for senior military and government officials throughout the National Capital Region. Wilson and Clay especially enjoy performing educational and entertaining community outreach programs at primary and secondary schools throughout the United States. In addition, they have an active schedule of conducting master classes and performing recitals at numerous universities and conservatories while also promoting the repertoire for violin, double bass, and orchestra by appearing with university and community orchestras.  MARCI SWIFT Marci Swift, a violinist, is the Director of Orchestras at Holmes Middle School in Fairfax County. Prior to teaching in Fairfax County, Mrs. Swift taught in the Cobb County Public School system in Marietta, Georgia. Mrs. Swift holds a Bachelor of Music with an emphasis in Music Education and a minor in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina. In addition, she holds a Master of Music Education from the Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. While at the University of South Carolina, Mrs. Swift performed with the USC Symphony and Chamber Orchestras as principal second violin. On occasion, she also performed with the Augusta Symphony Orchestra in Augusta, Georgia. In addition to performing while at USC, Mrs. Swift participated in the nationally recognized USC String Project where she was a teacher and an orchestra director. As a native to the Northern Virginia area, Mrs. Swift has both participated in and worked with many of the local youth orchestras. She is excited to be conducting the TYOF Concert Orchestra and is looking forward to sharing her love of music with all its participants. TERESA SMITH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR [Teresa's picture and biography coming soon] |