Meet the Section Leaders

A native of the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, Kathleen Tennyson Keese earned her bachelor’s degree in music performance from James Madison University in 2008, summa cum laude. In 2010 she earned her master’s degree, also in music performance, from the University of Minnesota as a Berneking Fellow. She has studied with John Snow, Dr. Michele Kirkdorfer, and Mark Ackerman and performed in masterclasses for Robert Atherholt, Allan Vogel, Neil Black, Mark Ostoich, Ray Still, and Nancy Ambrose King.

In 2011, Kathleen began her career in the United States Air Force bands stationed with the Band of Liberty at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, where she performed with the concert band and New England Winds woodwind quintet. In 2013, she was assigned to the Band of the West at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, where she performed with Spectrum Winds and was featured as a soloist with the concert band performing the Goossens Oboe Concerto in 2016 on a four-state tour of the southeast. She is currently a member of the Air National Guard Band of the Northeast, stationed at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania.

Kathleen has performed with the Sarasota Music Festival, Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival, Shenandoah Symphony, West Virginia Symphony, Victoria Symphony, Mid-Texas Symphony, St. Cloud Symphony, Mankato Symphony, the Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca, Italy, and the Montpelier Winds. (more…)

Erin Fleming Morgan is a Fife Instrumentalist and Staff Sergeant in the US Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, one of the four premier bands of the Army.  This ceremonial unit provides musical support for many different events across the Military District of Washington and the National Capital Region, including events at the White House and Pentagon.  As “The Official Escort to the President”, The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps has marched in every Inaugural Parade since John F. Kennedy. 

Erin holds a Bachelor’s degree in both Music Performance and Music Education from the University of Georgia, studying under Angela Jones-Reus, and a Master’s degree in Flute Performance from Florida State University, studying under Eva Amsler.  Prior to and throughout her formal education, Erin studied flute with Rob Cronin and Christina Smith of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.  With Atlanta as her home, Erin has performed with the Ocala Symphony Orchestra, the Walt Disney World Candlelight Processional Orchestra, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, and Tara Winds, a group which performed at the prestigious Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in 2015.  (more…)

Eric Moore, a native of Falls Church, Va., retired from the United States Navy Band in 2013, having served as its Principal horn player from 2001 to 2011. Eric earned both a Bachelor of Music Education and a Bachelor of Arts in history from Boston University, graduating cum laude in both programs and received a Master of Music in horn performance from the University of Texas at Austin. He recently, in 2015, received his DMA from The Catholic University of America in orchestral instrumental performance.

An active performer, he has regularly performed with the National, Baltimore, Arlington, Maryland, Harrisburg and Fairfax Symphonies and was a member of the Austin Symphony, Austin Lyric Opera and Austin Ballet Orchestras before moving to Washington, DC. Eric currently serves as principal horn with the Fairfax Symphony—a position he has held since 1999—and has appeared as a soloist with the Navy Band, Fairfax Symphony and Arlington Symphony Orchestras.  (more…)

Jan Z. Duga is a freelance tubist and educator in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.  Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Jan served in The United States Air Force Band, Washington D.C., until she retired in 2013 as a Chief Master Sergeant after 30 years of service.  Travelling to all 50 states, she participated in the 50^th Anniversary of VE-Day in Moscow, Russia in 1995 and in 1996 performed at two International Military Tattoos in Stockholm, Sweden and Oslo, Norway.

Jan graduated from The Ohio State University in 1980 with a Bachelor of Music Education degree and a Master of Music degree in solo tuba performance from Arizona State University in 1982.  Her teachers include her father, Jules Duga, Robert LeBlanc, Raymond Nutaitis, Arnold Jacobs, Michael Bunn and Paul Krzywicki.  Prior to joining the Air Force, she was a music educator in the Chillicothe, Ohio public school system.

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Winner of numerous competitions and prizes, saxophonist, Jason McFeaters has performed extensively in the US and abroad. Praised by the press for his extraordinary musicianship and virtuosity, the Baltimore Sun wrote, “McFeaters exuded charisma and effortless virtuosity,” and the Washington Post wrote that “McFeaters played with gorgeous intensity and artistry.”

Mr. McFeaters has performed as a soloist with the symphonies of Baltimore, Fairfax, Frederick Youth, Fort Collins, Gettysburg, Georgetown, the Peabody Wind Ensemble, and the Capital Wind Symphony, of which he is the principal saxophonist. Since, 2009, Mr. McFeaters has performed regularly with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, including performances at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall, and can be heard on the orchestra’s recent recordings of “Bernstein’s Mass” and “Gershwin Piano Concertos.” This season’s performances with the BSO include, “On the Waterfront,” “Alexander Nevsky,” and “Fantasia.”

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Rebecca J. McFarland is a freelance clarinetist based in the Washington D.C. area. She began her collegiate studies at Virginia Tech where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music with concentrations in music education and clarinet performance studying with Dr. David Widder. During her time at Virginia Tech, Rebecca was the first duet winner of the student soloist competition, and performed Ponchielli’s Il Convegno with the Virginia Tech Wind Ensemble.

     Following her undergraduate studies, Rebecca pursued a Master’s degree in clarinet performance at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music studying with Ron Aufmann of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. During her time in Cincinnati Rebecca worked as a woodwind instructor at the West Chester Academy of Music and Dance, and taught general music classes with Whiz Kids Tutoring Program. In addition to her collegiate studies, Rebecca has privately studied with Rob Patterson, Kristen G. Sheridan, and Dr. Robert Little. 

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Julia Fickes is the Principal Bassoonist in the Capital Wind Symphony and the Air National Guard Band of the Northeast. She holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Maryland where she studied with Daniel Matsukawa, Principal Bassoonist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Sue Heineman, Principal Bassoonist of the National Symphony Orchestra. Julia also has her Master of Music from University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music where she studied with William Winstead, Principal Bassoonist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. While in college, Julia had the pleasure of attending Aspen Music Festival and Yellow Barn Music Festival. Previously, Julia was the Principal Bassoonist and Contrabassoonist with the USAF Heartland of America of America Band stationed at Offutt Air Force Base. Currently, she is a free-lance musician in the Washington D.C. area

Dr. Kenneth Krohn is a graduate of Oberlin College, Catholic University of America and the Rubin Academy at Tel Aviv University. Dr. Krohn was Timpanist/Percussionist with the United States Navy Band and the Principal Percussionist of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. He has numerous performing awards from his years in the Israel Phil, including the Prix de Paris and Grammies. Dr. Krohn came to Montgomery County Public Schools in 1986 and is the Director of Instrumental Music at Robert Frost Middle School. During his tenure in MCPS Dr. Krohn has been the recipient of numerous teaching awards including the National Blue Ribbon in 2013. He is also, Adjunct Professor of Percussion at Montgomery College and performs around the D C Metro area, at the National Theater and Wolftrap. He joined The Capital Wind Symphony in 2011, as the timpanist.

A native of New Freedom, Pennsylvania, Bryan N. Miles began his music education during high school at the Peabody Preparatory in Baltimore, Maryland, studying euphonium under Benjamin Chounard and Janice Owens. He continued his studies under Roger Behrend, former principal euphonium with the U.S. Navy Band, and received his Bachelor of Music degree in music education from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. He was a finalist in the 2002 International Tuba and Euphonium Competition and was a winner of the 2003 George Mason University Concerto Competition. He was a featured soloist with both the George Mason Wind Symphony and the George Mason Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Miles later returned to school to pursue a Master’s degree in Euphonium Performance at the University of North Texas where he studied euphonium with Brian Bowman and conducting with Dennis Fisher.

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Fred Marcellus holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music and Wichita State University. A native of the Washington, D.C. area, he is an active teacher, clinician, adjudicator, soloist and freelance trumpet player. He is also a frequent substitute and extra player with the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington Opera Orchestra. He has performed with many groups in the Washington D.C. area including the Baltimore Concert Artists, Alexandria Symphony, Baltimore Opera, Annapolis Symphony, and the Wolf Trap Opera, among others. He is presently a member of the Washington Ballet Orchestra, serves as the orchestra’s contractor and is a member of the 257th Army Band.

From 1991-2000, he was soloist and assistant principal solo cornet/trumpet with the“President’s Own” United States Marine Band.  He appeared as soloist with the Marine Band more than 130 times on 4 national tours and summer concert series. (more…)

Ken Wolff began studying the trombone at age 12. Within 3 years, he was playing professionally throughout the San Francisco, CA area with Classical, Jazz, Dixie and Rock and Roll groups such as the Rich Martini Big Band, San Francisco Dixie Company, Choral Brass Quintet and others. After additional studies as a scholarship student at Interlochen and Tanglewood, and the University of Massachusetts Ken pursued a career playing the trombone professionally. Ken has freelanced throughout the country and played with Orchestras throughout the world. He was named a Shires Artist by the SE Shires Company in 2006, the manufacturer who provides Ken with the trombones he plays and have sponsored him as a clinician at the Eastern Trombone Workshop, Interlochen Arts Camp, International Trombone Festival and various other solo performances and venues.

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