Alexandra Dee is the newly appointed Director of Orchestral Activities in the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University. Her previous positions include Director of Orchestral Studies and assistant professor of violin and viola at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Director of Orchestral Activities at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois. Outside of academia, she was music director and conductor of Chicago’s South Loop Symphony Orchestra and a cover conductor for the Joffrey Ballet, with whom she debuted in 2017, leading an opening week of performances with the Chicago Philharmonic on one day’s notice. In summer 2017 she was invited to conduct at the Peninsula Music Festival (Door County, Wisconsin) as an Emerging Conductor. Also at home in the opera pit, Dee has had multiple engagements with Manitoba Underground Opera (Winnipeg), Northwestern University Opera Theater, and the IUP Music Department’s Main Stage Productions.

Dee completed her doctoral studies in orchestral conducting at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music, where she studied with Victor Yampolsky. She is also an alumna of the Florida State University College of Music, where she completed both a Master of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting and a Bachelor of Music Education degree. While at FSU, Dee studied conducting with Alexander Jiménez, choral conducting with André Thomas, and violin with Corinne Stillwell. Her conducting positions at FSU included founding music director and conductor of the Campus Orchestra, a string orchestra geared toward non-music majors from across the university community.

In addition to her formal studies, Dee has attended conducting workshops and festivals at such institutions as the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors and Orchestral Musicians, the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, the Royal Northern College of Music, and the Orkney Conductors’ Course, where she conducted the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. A consistent advocate for contemporary music, Dee has performed and premiered numerous works by living composers. In particular, she is a vigorous champion of the works of her husband, composer Roger Zare.

Tyson Hamrick is a retired music educator with 30 years of teaching experience. His career includes positions at Charles D. Owen High School, Owen Middle School, and Enka Middle School in North Carolina, as well as Mullins High School in South Carolina. Hamrick’s students consistently earned honors at various levels, and his bands performed at notable venues and events.

Mika Hood has been performing for most of her life on either piano or cello. Learning from her mother and musical siblings, she developed a keen ear and life long love of music. Participating in every youth orchestra available, she then
enthusiastically continued her musical journey into college, receiving a Bachelor of Music from the University of Oklahoma, studying with Dr. Jonathan Ruck, and a Masters from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, studying with Emilio Colón, Helga Winold, and members of the Pacifica String Quartet.

Hood attended various chamber music festivals around the world including in Vermont and France. She has also performed in Masterclasses with renowned musicians such as Lynn Harrell, Ko Iwasaki, The Johannes String Quartet, Koichiro Harada, Alison Wells, Julie Albers, and David Ying. Hood was recently the Principal Cellist of the Coeur d’Alene Symphony where she was a frequent featured soloist. She also performed with the Yakima Symphony, Canna Corda Trio and various other ensembles throughout the Pacific Northwest. She is now working to establish herself in her new home in Western North Carolina with her son.

Rodney K. Workman is the Director of Bands at Asheville High School where he conducts the Wind Symphony and Marching Band and also assists the high school Symphonic Band, high school jazz bands, and the middle school bands in Asheville City Schools. He received degrees in Music Performance and Music Education from Appalachian State University. His concert bands regularly perform at the NC Bandmasters MPA events where they have received Superior Ratings in Grades II through Grade VI/ Masterworks. His bands have performed at local and regional concert band festivals including the Dixie Classic Festival, the Charleston Music Festival, the US Army Band President’s Cup in Washington DC, and the Grand National Adjudicator’s Invitational at Atlanta Symphony Hall.

In addition to his school work has also served as a conductor at UNCG Summer Music Camp, Cannon Music Camp, and most recently was selected to be on the staff of the “All American Band” which will be representing the United States in Normandy in the summer of 2023 for the D-Day Commemoration. He is a regular guest clinician for All County and All District Bands having conducted more than 50 clinics in recent years in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Alabama as well as the Symphonic Band at the University of South Carolina Band Clinic.

Mr. Workman is also a Past President of the North Carolina Bandmasters, and the current state chair for the National Band Association in North Carolina.

Amanda Tant is the orchestra director at Hendersonville Middle and Hendersonville High Schools. Ms. Tant’s students receive consistent excellent and superior ratings at state and local competitions. Students also regularly audition for and participate in Junior and Senior Western Regional Orchestra and NC All State Orchestra.

Her high school ensembles have performed at the North Carolina Music Education Association Conference, Festival Disney and the Worldstrides Nashville Heritage Festival. Ms. Tant also serves as the musical director in the long-standing Hendersonville High School Senior Play, coaching vocals and conducting the pit orchestra of a full-length Broadway musical every spring.

Outside of her school ensembles, Ms. Tant is very excited to return to Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestras as the Chamber Orchestra conductor this season. She currently conducts the WNC Music Academy Sonata String Orchestra. From 2016-2019, she conducted the inaugural Prelude Orchestra of the Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestras. She has also had the pleasure of serving as a festival clinician for Buncombe All-County Middle School and Berrian All-County Orchestras.

Ms. Tant holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Appalachian State University. Before she began teaching in Hendersonville, Ms. Tant completed a year of graduate courses in Viola Performance, studying with Eric Koontz, DMA and performing in an endowed graduate chamber ensemble, the Hayes Quartet.

She performs on viola with the Café String Quartet, Brevard Philharmonic, and Hendersonville Symphony. She is currently on the board of the HSO serving on the Education Committee.

Ms. Tant is a North Carolina Teaching Fellow alumna and an active member of the National Association for Music Education serving as the Auditions Chairperson for Western Regional Orchestra. She is also a member of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) and a 2018 recipient of the Foundation for the Advancement of String Education’s George Bornoff Memorial Scholarship. Ms. Tant is especially honored to be recognized as Hendersonville High School’s 2020-2021 Teacher of the Year.

She resides in Asheville with her husband, Nathaniel Habel. They have one dog, Khyber, and three cats: Zeke, Blue, and Tempest.

Ashlee Booth enjoys a career that combines her love for performance and string pedagogy. Currently based in Asheville, NC, Ashlee frequently performs as a chamber/orchestral musician in the greater WNC region. Ashlee also performs with her cello/percussion duo Two-Way Street, who’s recent album has received critical attention in the New York Times, Pitchfork, and The Wire.

Ashlee is currently an Orchestra Teacher in Buncombe County Schools where she strives to give her students a culturally responsible education. Her orchestra students are not only taught the fundamentals of musicality, but a wide range of musical styles, perspectives, and with an emphasis on relating music to the world around them.

Ashlee received her Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from Florida State University where she studied with Greg Sauer. In 2018 Ashlee completed her MM and her work as the Graduate Teaching Assistant for Dr. Wesley Baldwin at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Cady Robison is a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she earned her Bachelor’s in Music Education with a focus on String Education. During her time at UNCG, Cady gained valuable experience working with the Greensboro Symphony’s education programs, the Peck Alumni Leadership Program, and the Lillian Rausch Beginning Strings program. She is an active member of the North Carolina Music Educators Association and the American String Teachers Association, having presented at both organizations’ conferences and summits.

Now residing in Hendersonville, Cady teaches at Rugby Middle School, where she is dedicated to providing students with a well-rounded musical education. Her approach helps students explore the history of music, engage with current trends, and develop skills to shape the future of music.

Cady’s passion for music is deeply rooted in the Appalachian and Old Time music traditions of Western North Carolina. She loves incorporating these traditions into her classroom, using timeless pieces to teach students new techniques and skills.

Hailed by The New York Times for her “vitality and gusto,” Sophia Anastasia is an accomplished flutist and educator. She is the founding member of the critically acclaimed Electrum Duo, a chamber ensemble dedicated to flute and percussion. A passionate advocate for contemporary music, Dr. Anastasia has commissioned numerous works for flute by composers including Gary Schocker, James Romig, Robert Maggio, and Maurice Wright. Her commission Xynoglyko by Gary Schocker was featured at the National Flute Convention, broadcast on WFMT radio, and appears on her recording Musing.

While living in New Jersey, “Dr. A” served as flute instructor at the Kent Place School, a prestigious all girls institution in Summit, NJ. She also maintained a thriving private flute studio in Montclair and led regular workshops in both public and private schools throughout the region. Now proud to call Asheville home, Dr. Anastasia has recently opened The Blue Ridge Flute Studio, a private lesson and ensemble studio devoted to providing students of all ages and levels with a comprehensive flute and music education.

Dr. Anastasia is a certified K through 12 music educator and an early childhood Music Together specialist. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from SUNY Stony Brook, a Master’s and Professional Studies Certificate from the Manhattan School of Music, and a Bachelor of Arts from Montclair State University.

When not playing the flute, Dr. A can be found teaching in a preschool, spending time with her children, walking her dog, practicing yoga, or working in the garden.

Percussionist Brian Tinkel enjoys a career that draws on his background both in teaching and in performance as chamber musician, soloist and orchestral player. Currently, he is Associate Professor of Music at Mars Hill University in Mars Hill, North Carolina. As Director of Percussion Studies, he oversees all aspects of percussion education. He advises all percussion majors and manages two additional adjunct percussion faculty. He directs University Percussion Ensembles and co-directs the Mountain Lion Marching Band. During his tenure, Dr. Tinkel started additional percussion ensembles to include Marimba Band, West African Ensemble, and Brazilian Percussion Ensemble.

Dr. Tinkel performs with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, Asheville Lyrics Opera, Asheville Symphony Chorus, Southern Appalachian Repertory Theater, Asheville Community Theater, Brevard Philharmonic, and the Johnson City Orchestra. He is currently on faculty with the Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra serving as Director of Percussion. He was Principal Timpanist with the Enid Symphony and has performed with the Oklahoma Philharmonic. He is co-founder of the Brio Chamber Series, a chamber music series in Western North Carolina, and is a member of Mosaic Flute and Percussion Duo with his wife, Cynthia Roop. Dr. Tinkel earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Oklahoma. His dissertation, “Rebonds: A Pedagogical Analysis” is published by UMI. He received both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His past teachers include Thom Hannum, Eduardo Leandro, Dr. Peter Tanner, and Dr. Lance Drege.

While being involved in the drum corps activity for two decades, Dr. Tinkel’s performance opportunities led him to being a member of the Boston Crusaders and Star of Indiana. He went on to perform with Star of Indiana’s Brass Theater production where he toured extensively with The Canadian Brass and Nexus. Since devoting his time to teaching, Brian has been on faculty with the Crossmen, Glassmen, and has coordinated percussion activities for Magic of Orlando and the Madison Scouts. In addition he has served as Percussion Caption Director and Arranger for Carolina Crown Drum & Bugle Corps and served as a percussion consultant for The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps in 2008 and 2009. Dr. Tinkel served as Percussion Caption Head for The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps from 2010 to 2013. In 2011, Tinkel led The Cavaliers Percussion Program to the Fred Sanford Award for Best Percussion Performance. In 2014, Dr. Tinkel began a position as percussion consultant with The Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps.

Dr. Tinkel has been a featured clinician and adjudicator at numerous events across the United States and at the 25th National Cultural Festival and International Exchange in Okayama, Japan. Additionally, he arranges for percussion ensembles across the country.

Dr. Tinkel is an artist and clinician for Avedis Zildjian Co., Pearl-Adams Corporation, REMO Inc., Innovative Percussion, and StickTape.com. Brian resides near Asheville, North Carolina with his wife Cynthia, and his two children Lydia and Asher.

Claire Gerhardt grew up surrounded by music. She began studying violin at the age of eight and now runs a thriving Suzuki violin and viola studio in Asheville. She earned her Bachelor of Music in violin performance and music education from Lawrence University Conservatory of Music in Wisconsin, and she regularly pursues ongoing training to deepen her teaching and performance skills. Claire has performed in numerous ensembles including the Asheville Symphony Orchestra and the Asheville Symphony educational outreach quintet. Claire is passionate about bringing collaborative musical experiences to young people and is always striving to become a better teacher. 

Greg Love’s first experience with the Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra was as a high school trombonist from 1990-1993. Under the baton of Robert Hart Baker and Lee Metcalf, he was able to explore and develop his musicianship. In the years since he was last a member of the ASYO, Mr. Love has received his degree in music education from Mars Hill University, taught band for twenty-nine years, and performed regionally as a trombonist with groups such as the Appalachian Brass Quintet and Smoky Mountain Brass Band. He is thrilled to be joining the staff of the ASYO to help a new generation of young musicians find their musical voices.

Originally from Mumbai, India, flutist Dilshad Posnock has appeared in concerts and festivals across the United States, England, Puerto Rico and India, and has been featured on BBC TV and BBC World Service Radio.

Ms. Posnock’s performance experience is wide and varied. She has been featured as a concerto and recital soloist, as well as a chamber musician, collaborating with musicians from the New York Chamber Ensemble, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, as well as her hometown ensemble – the Bombay Chamber Orchestra. She has also participated in such international music festivals as the Brevard Music Center, the Casals Festival in Puerto Rico, the Cape May Music Festival, Musica Viva, and was a founding member of the Sangat Music Festival in Mumbai, India.

Ms. Posnock completed her undergraduate studies with Honors at the Royal College of Music, London, and her Master’s Degree at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where she studied with renowned flutist and pedagogue Jeanne Baxtresser, former Principal Flute of the New York Philharmonic. While in Pittsburgh, she performed regularly with ensembles including the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Pittsburgh Ballet, and Pittsburgh Opera, and was Director of the Artist Diploma Program at the Carnegie Mellon School of Music.

Ms. Posnock has a deep passion for teaching. She has served as Artist Lecturer in Flute at CMU, is currently Artist Faculty at the Brevard Music Center and Brevard College, and woodwind coach for the Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra. She lives in Brevard, NC with her husband Jason, and two children. She is a member of the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, and travels back to India to perform as Principal Flute with the South Asian Symphony Orchestra.

Dr. Slaughter has a background in both classical and jazz music, and has had the privilege of performing with many of the greats in the jazz, hip hop, and funk worlds, including George Clinton, Joe Lovano, Lenny Pickett, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, The Village People, Wayne Bergeron, Joe LaBarbera, Dave Loeb, Bobby Shew, and Gerald Wilson. He also performed extensively in musicals and lounge shows in Las Vegas, was a member of the Wayne Newton Orchestra, and has performed in several famous venues in New York, including the Lincoln Center and Blue Note jazz club. Dr. Slaughter studied composition with several Pulitzer Prize winners, and his compositions have been performed throughout the United States, Canada, Italy, and South Korea.

He currently teaches at Mars Hill University, where he directs the Jazz Ensemble, teaches Music History and Music Theory, and offers private lessons in jazz. He taught previously at the University of Nevada Las Vegas and the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ, as well as spending a year as an elementary music teacher at P.S. 158 in New York City.

His current regular performing duties include playing bass trombone and tuba for the Asheville Jazz Orchestra, Greenville Jazz Collective, and Ol’ 74 Jazz Band, as well as playing tuba for the MHU Faculty Brass Quintet.