Christie-Jo Adams

Christie-Jo Adams is a distinguished music educator with a career spanning 32 years. Currently, she serves as the Coordinator for PreK-12 Arts Education for Richmond Public Schools in Richmond, Virginia, having previously held the position of Fine Arts Instructional Specialist. Prior to her current administrative roles, Ms. Adams dedicated 21 years to teaching orchestra within the Richmond and Henrico County Public School systems. She has also served as adjunct faculty at Virginia Union University and, for twelve years, as the Conductor of the Richmond Symphony’s Youth Orchestra Sinfonietta program.

Ms. Adams was instrumental in the implementation and success of Virginia’s first Arts Integration Middle School within Richmond Public Schools and is currently spearheading the development of the district’s Richmond High School for the Arts. A dedicated violinist, she has performed as a member of the Petersburg Symphony and The Richmond Philharmonic. Her innovative approach to integrating the arts into general instruction earned her recognition as a ‘Leader to Learn From’ by Education Week magazine. Additionally, her article, “The Arts as a School Motivator,” was recently published in AASA School Administrator.  In 2026 she was awarded the Lucille Brown Impact Award from Richmond Public Schools.

An active leader in the arts community, Ms. Adams serves on the Board of Directors for numerous arts organizations and is a member of the Richmond Mayor’s RVA Arts and Culture Advisory Group. She holds degrees from Longwood University and Averett University. Ms. Adams is a member of Sigma Alpha Iota, an honorary international music fraternity for women, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Beyond her professional accomplishments, she takes great pride in her role as a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother.

Dr. Justin Alexander

Justin Alexander currently serves as Associate Professor of Music and Director of Percussion Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. A dynamic and versatile percussionist, Justin has performed throughout the United States and the world, with performances in Belgium, Australia, Sweden, Costa Rica, and The Dominican Republic.

As a percussionist who started on the drum set, Justin’s creative work has revolved around this instrument. He has commissioned and performed new works for the instrument in concert and chamber music settings while also centering the drum set in his teaching curriculum. His early affinity for both popular and classical music has enabled him to move between genres and styles effortlessly, as evidenced in his recordings and performances with an eclectic range of musicians and ensembles, from sound artist Stephen Vitiello to the GRAMMY-nominated Richmond Symphony.

An Aspen Music Festival alum, Justin has performed with The Florida Orchestra, The Richmond Symphony, The Arkansas Symphony, and has held the role of Principal Percussionist with the Wintergreen Summer Music Festival since 2015.

Justin’s recent interests have explored the role of non-western percussion traditions in the percussion studio. He is currently studying Carnatic and Hindustani music with Erode Nagaraj and Shawn Mativetsky, respectively. His interest in and commitment to into an integrated approach to non-western traditions in the percussion studio has led to a presentation at the 2018 National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy as well as a co-authored article in Percussive Notes (2020).

As a member of the Percussive Arts Society, Justin has presented at PASIC 2014 and 2018, published articles in Percussive Notes, and currently serves on the PAS World Percussion Committee.

Justin holds the Doctor of Music Degree in Percussion Performance from The Florida State University. His primary teachers include Dr. John W. Parks IV, Dr. Blake Tyson, and Prof. Leon Anderson. He is proudly endorsed by Pearl / Adams Musical Instruments, Zildjian Cymbals, Vic Firth sticks and mallets, Grover Pro Percussion, and Remo, Inc.

Melissa Jones

Conductor

Hae Lee

Korean conductor Hae Lee is Associate Conductor of the Richmond Symphony and Conductor of the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra. He won Second Prize at the Kussewitzky Conducting Competition in Italy and was a Finalist at the Besançon Competition for Young Conductors in France. In 2025, Lee served as a jury member for the Antal Doráti Conducting Competition.

In the United States, Lee was Marin Alsop’s cover conductor for concerts with the São Paulo Symphony and the American Composers Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. He also appeared at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall in a performance of Ives’ Symphony No. 4, which requires three conductors. He was a Conducting Fellow at the Cabrillo Festival and Assistant Conductor at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Academy. In Europe, Lee conducted the Orchestre national de Metz Grand Est, Orchestre national d’Île-de-France, Orchestre Dijon Bourgogne, Orchestre Victor Hugo, and Orchestra Sinfonica Città di Grosseto. Following the LEAD! Foundation’s masterclass, he was selected to conduct at the Final Concert of the Fiskars Festival in Finland, sharing the podium with Esa-Pekka Salonen, James Gaffigan, and Jukka-Pekka Saraste. Lee also collaborated with prominent composers such as Noriko Baba, Alexandros Markeas, and Magnus Lindberg,
conducting their works in concert.

In South Korea, Lee was invited to masterclasses with the Seoul Philharmonic, Korean National Symphony, and Korea National Opera. He led world premieres at the Seoul Contemporary Music Festival and the Korean Composers Association Festival, and conducted Michael Spyres’ Korean debut concert, broadcast nationwide. An experienced opera conductor, Lee led productions including Le nozze di Figaro, L’elisir d’amore, La Bohème, and Gianni Schicchi, and served as assistant for Don Giovanni, Così
fan tutte, Die Fledermaus, and Mermaid in the Jar. Lee studied conducting at the Korea National University of Arts, Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, Mannes School of Music, and Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, supported by multiple scholarships and grants. He maintains close relationships with mentors, including Marin Alsop, Joseph Young, David Hayes, Fabien Gabel, David Reiland, and Jukka-Pekka Saraste.

Lee lives in Richmond with his wife, soprano Young-Hae Jeon, a DMA student at George Mason University.

Dana McComb

Canadian-born cellist Dana McComb has performed as a chamber musician, recitalist, and orchestral musician in venues across North America.

An avid teacher, Dana has held faculty positions at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and the Eckhardt-Gramatté Conservatory, and is currently on faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University and teaches privately in Richmond. She is the creator of the online theory program, “Theory is Fun RVA.” Her students have represented the state of Virginia in the MTNA Competitions at the regional level for both the Junior and Senior String divisions, and at the Nationals Finals for the Junior level. They have performed at Carnegie Hall, performed as soloists with the Richmond Symphony and the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra, and have attended universities and music festivals around the world. Her students participate in all levels of the YOP program. Dana works regularly with the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program and the Youth Orchestras of Central Virginia, is sought after as a clinician in schools around Virginia, and has been a jury member of the state and regional level MTNA Competitions.

Dana holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where she studied with Irene Sharp and Bonnie Hampton, and an Associate Diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music where she studied with David Hetherington.

Music Listening

Adrian Pintea

Romanian violinist Constantin Adrian Pintea has performed throughout Europe and the United States as a soloist and chamber music player. Adrian won his first national prize at the age of 12 and was a prize recipient at the Jeunesses Musicales and Remember Enescu international competitions. He was accepted at The Juilliard School for his undergraduate studies and, after completing his Bachelor’s Degree, was awarded the Eugenia and David Ames Concertmaster Fellowship at the Mannes School of Music. He has performed regularly as a chamber player in major halls such as Alice Tully Hall, the Morgan Library & Museum, and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.

Adrian has also participated in several music festivals, including the Breckenridge Music Festival, Mozarteum Academy in Salzburg, and the Texas Music Festival, where he was a prize recipient of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Young Artist Competition. After completing his studies, Adrian joined the New World Symphony where he had the opportunity to serve as concertmaster under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas and Esa-Pekka Salonen, among others. After being named Associate Concertmaster of the Richmond Symphony, Adrian opened a violin studio teaching intermediate to advanced students with a focus on music development and appreciation. He also works frequently with the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program coaching sectionals and ensemble rehearsals.