Olivia Scott is a current second-year Master’s student at Florida State University studying Arts Administration. Olivia went to Mercer University in Macon, Georgia for her undergraduate studies where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Music and studied flute under Kelly Via. She has played a variety of instruments in different ensembles, including steel drums, marching cymbals with Equinox Percussion for the 2018 and 2019 seasons, and bass drum and cymbals at Mercer University. As a former summer camp counselor, Olivia loves to educate and support children and their love for learning. As an intern with Sound Impact, she is delighted to get the opportunity to continue her passion in the music world.

Jack Holland is a French horn player, arts administrator, and graduate student currently based in the Washington, DC area. He earned his B.M. in French horn performance from the University of Maryland, College Park, where he had the opportunity to study with Gregory Miller, Phil Munds, and Justin Drew, while also working with production management at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. At the University of Maryland, Jack had the opportunity to play with various ensembles, including the Symphony Orchestra, Wind Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Repertory Orchestra. He also had the opportunity to attend the Miami Classical Music Festival, where he performed works by Copland, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, and Wagner, and also performed in a masterclass for Caleb Hudson of Canadian Brass.

As an administrator, Jack currently serves as a staff administrator for the Fairfax Choral Society. While there, he acts as a front-of-house manager and social media manager, and serves as a liaison for the 60th Anniversary Gala Planning Committee. Jack’s goal as an administrator is to make classical and new music more accessible and enjoyable to the public, and increase music education for all ages.

Jack currently resides in Greenbelt, Maryland, and is from Newport News, Virginia.

Kathryn Encisco is currently pursuing a Doctorate in the Philosophy of Music Education at Florida State University and is slated to graduate this May.

Prior to returning to graduate school, Ms. Encisco taught in the Cobb County School District in Marietta, Georgia which is also where she was born and raised. Thanks to her musical experiences in Cobb County and the surrounding areas, Ms. Encisco chose to earn a bachelor’s degree in music education from Kennesaw State University and later a master of music in music education from Florida State University.

Outside of music, her enjoyments include spending time with family, friends, and her significant other; playing board games and solving escape rooms; and playing with her two puppies.

Originally from Illinois, Brianne Steif (she/her) received a Bachelor of Music performance from Illinois State University in 2021 and is a Master of Music flute student at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD). Currently, Brianne regularly gigs with the Pan American Symphony Orchestra and is an enthusiastic supporter of new music at UMD.

Outside of performing and teaching, Brianne enjoys exploring the research and administrative side of music. During Spring of 2023, Brianne was an Education Intern with the Boulanger Initiative, where she participated in research and education advancement projects.

Brianne is hoping to work in administrative or community engagement music positions in the future and is excited to learn from her internship with Sound Impact. 

Xinru Liu is a master's student majoring in arts management at George Mason University. She graduated from the China Conservatory of Music, majoring in musical instrument performance. She plays the guqin, a traditional Chinese instrument, the oldest plucked instrument in China with a history of more than 3,000 years.

During her undergraduate study, she gave many musical instrument performances worldwide. After graduation, she taught music as an instrument teacher for three years, accumulated educational experience, and gave many personal speeches.

She moved to the United States in 2021 and performed at both Center for the Arts and Kennedy's Reach Center during her graduate school years. And as the only invited performer, she participated in many performances at the Chinese Embassy in the United States.

Trombonist Neil Advant is a passionate performer and educator, dedicated to sharing story through music and enabling others to harness that superpower. As an intern at Sound Impact, he was involved in the spring 2024 ‘Time Travels Adventure’ program in partnership with Music At Kohl Mansion. Neil was thrilled to join the Sound Impact team in March to support the operations of the shows, and presented a short segment about brass instruments to the young audiences.

At the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he is pursuing a Bachelors of Music, he is the artistic director and curator of The Moonlight Society. This student-led organization aims to bring SFCM’s student body together through festival-like shows and events, transforming spaces across our campus and showcasing student bands that do not have a platform to perform their music. 

An accomplished orchestral trombonist, Neil was the second trombonist of the New York Youth Symphony from 2019-2021, which included multiple performances at Carnegie Hall and features on the 2020 and 2021 CNN Fourth of July Specials. He can be heard in the orchestra's debut studio album, which won the 2023 Grammy for Best Orchestral Performance. As a vocalist specializing in choir, he can be heard with the California Bach Society and the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption Choir.

Neil graduated from the Juilliard Pre-College division in 2021 studying with members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. He is currently studying with Timothy Higgins at SFCM, and will earn his Bachelors degree in May of 2025.

Outside of music, Neil enjoys spending time in nature, rock climbing, and listening to music. When he returns to his hometown of Montgomery, New Jersey, he volunteers at his local fire department, where he has been a firefighter for almost five years.

Born in Taipei and raised in Shanghai, Hung-Yu (Yoyo) Lin is a cellist, educator dedicated to teaching youth through music and a driven arts administrator. 

Yoyo has performed at SFJAZZ as a member of the string section for Brandy Youngers’ residency in San Francisco in 2023 with guest Ravi Coltrane. She attended the Sarasota Music Festival in 2024 and the Aspen Music Festival and School in 2023 where she studied under Richard Aaron, And her previous festival experience includes participating in the Kronos Festival (where she premiered a string quartet by Fode Lassane Diabate with SFJAZZ), attending the Heifetz Institute of Music and studying at the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival and the Seiji Ozawa Academy in Japan (with Seiji Ozawa conducting) on a full fellowship. 

Yoyo has established herself as a mentor to young students and enjoys forming community through music. As a Collegiate Teaching Artist for the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Pre-College Bridge to Arts and Music Initiative, she teaches piano and music theory to youth musicians in the Bay Area and beyond. In addition, she is a musicianship and theory tutor at SFCM and volunteers with the California Academy of Science. 

As an arts administrator, Yoyo is excited to understand the inner workings of the performing arts industry and contribute to the field in multiple ways. She has worked with multiple organizations, including Opus 3 Artists, Noe Valley Chamber Music, Sound Impact, SF Early Music Society and more. 

Yoyo began her cello studies in the pre-college equivalent division of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music studying with MeiJuan Liu, who she credits with establishing her love for cello. She went on to earn her M.Mus and B.Mus at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) and is currently pursuing a Performance Studies Certificate in cello performance at SFCM under the tutelage of Jennifer Culp. 

She enjoys nature photography, reading, eating and loves dogs. As a matter of fact, she also volunteers at the pet shelter to spend time with plenty of dogs since she currently can’t have one of her own.

Jay McCarthy is a multi-faceted performing artist and educator in the DC area. When he is not acting, he frequents musical theater pits as a violinist and guitarist. You can also find him collaborating with independent artists as a composer, lyricist, and audio engineer. Mr. McCarthy holds a bachelor’s degree in Theater Arts with a minor in English from the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Esther Myers is a horn player and educator based in Los Angeles. She is a recent graduate of the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, where she studied with Amy Sanchez. Esther is a founding member of LA-based brass quintet Kodiak Brass and a former fellow of the American Youth Symphony. In 2023, she attended the Aspen Music Festival and School, studying with Alexander Kienle.

Esther is a passionate music educator and believes in chamber music as a powerful avenue for community engagement and service. She is a two-time recipient of the Gluck Fellowship Award, bringing interactive chamber music concerts to Los Angeles public schools, libraries, and community centers with the Gluck Woodwind Quintet and Gluck Horn Quartet.

Esther continues her educational career as a teaching artist at YOLA Inglewood, where she serves a vibrant community of young musicians. When she’s not playing the horn, Esther loves to try new recipes in the kitchen, go for swims, and explore new coffee shops in her neighborhood.

A native of South Florida, Will’s studies began at the age of eleven with Dr. Douglas Ferreira. He went on to attend the Alexander Dreyfoos School of the Arts where he would begin his journey of learning the standard orchestral repertoire performing works from the likes of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, and many more. In 2019, he was selected to be the principal bassist of the Florida All-State Symphonic Band. In the summer of that same year, he was also selected to attend the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (YOLA) National Festival where he had the privilege to play under the baton of Maestro Gustavo Dudamel and Roderick Cox at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. In the Fall of 2023, Will was awarded the Harold and Barbara Rothman Endowed Orchestra Scholarship.

Currently, Will holds a Bachelor's degree from Lynn Conservatory in Music Performance where he studied with Timothy Cobb and is now actively pursuing his Master’s degree at the University of Texas studying under Joel Braun. Along with being an active freelance musician and an educator in South Florida, Will is also a member of the Palm Beach Symphony and is on the substitute lists for the Ocala Symphony and the Gainesville Orchestra. Will spends his summers attending the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina where he performs under Gerard Schwartz, Grant Cooper, and Jose-Luis Novo. Over the years, Will has also played in masterclasses hosted by Thomas Martin and Xavier Foley.

Lydia Sorenson, a resident of Burke, VA, began her musical studies at age three on violin. Additionally proficient in piano, organ, and percussion, Lydia enjoys performing with various community organizations including the 8th Green Machine Regiment Band and Fife & Drum Corps, Georgetown Day School, Avanti Orchestra, and the DMV Music Academy. She currently holds the position of principal percussionist of the Symphonic Orchestra of Northern Virginia. As a student at George Mason University she performs regularly with the percussion ensemble, steel pan band, Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony, and Symphony Orchestra. 

Lydia recently attended Sewanee Summer Music Festival, Bowdoin International Music Festival, and Sō Summer Institute. While pursuing a Bachelor of Music Performance at GMU, she holds the position of Wind Band Librarian. Additionally, she teaches at several schools in the area and maintains a private multi-instrumental studio. 

Lydia currently studies percussion under the tutelage of Jon Bisesi, and drum set under Dr. Kevin McDonald of the U.S. Navy Band Commodores. Lydia intends to continue freelancing and pursue a graduate degree in music performance starting Fall 2025.

Emma Stewart is a percussionist and pianist currently studying at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. She is pursuing a Bachelor’s in Percussion Performance with a minor in Arts Management. 

As a performer, Emma currently holds the position of principal percussion with the George Mason Symphony Orchestra. She also performs with the Mason Percussion Ensemble, Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, Opera Pit, and Steel Pan Ensemble. Outside of the university, Emma performs with the Brass Band of Northern Virginia, American Festival Pops Orchestra, Capital Wind Symphony, and gigs around the Northern Virginia area. She also has an upcoming performance in May with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra. 

Emma’s current percussion studies are led by John Bisesi of the President's Own Marine Band, with prior instruction by John Spirtas and John Kilkenny. She has also studied at Brevard Music Festival, Eastern Music Festival, and Sewanee Summer Music Festival. 

Emma works as a music librarian and school of music ambassador at George Mason. She is also a private lesson teacher and an Emerging Artist of the Network for Diversity in Concert Percussion. 

Michelle Yang is a current fourth-year undergraduate student at UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music studying French Horn performance with Professor Amy Sanchez. She is an active member of the UCLA Orchestras and Jazz ensembles, and frequently plays with groups throughout Los Angeles.

In recent summers, she has attended music festivals such as the Interlochen Arts Camp, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and Eastern Music Festival. This past summer, she participated in the Miami Music Festival on an Orchestral Fellowship, which provided her the privilege of performing fully staged operas and symphonic works with world class conductors and incredibly talented colleagues from around the globe. There, she befriended the wonderful Panamanian musicians and was introduced to the inspiring mission of Sound Impact!

Michelle dedicates the foundation of her musical passion to the study and performance of chamber music. Previously a member of the Gluck Fellowship Woodwind Quintet, and now a member of the Gluck Fellowship Horn Quartet, she becomes invigorated through the beauty and joy of musical storytelling as well as elevating the visions of underrepresented musicians throughout the greater Los Angeles area. 

Outside of music, Michelle loves to cook, hike, and learn about art history!