Anne Rupert is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music where she earned a Bachelor of Music with a double major in Music Education and Cello Performance. At Eastman, she studied cello with Steven Doane and was a member of every major performing ensemble including the Heidelberg, Germany Schlosspiele Orchestra. Prior to joining the Youth Orchestras of Prince William, Mrs. Rupert taught for 10 years in the Fairfax County Public Schools where she was the Orchestra Director at Oakton High School, Rachel Carson Middle School, and Franklin Middle School. Mrs. Rupert's orchestras consistently received Superior Ratings and Best Overall Orchestra Awards at District and National competitions in Chicago, Toronto, Orlando, Boston, Myrtle Beach, Gatlinburg, Atlanta, Hershey, Richmond, Williamsburg, and the New York Orchestra Festival in Carnegie Hall. Nine of Mrs. Rupert's former Oakton High School students are employed as Orchestra Directors in Virginia. Mrs. Rupert is currently the Orchestra Director at Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax County.
Since 1989, Mrs. Rupert has been a member of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra cello section, has performed frequently as a free-lance cellist in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area, has maintained a private cello studio in her home. Mrs. Rupert is the 1994 recipient of the American String Teachers Association Virginia Chapter "Outstanding Orchestra Director" Award. Beginning in 1994, Mrs. Rupert served as guest conductor to many of the Junior and Senior Regional Orchestras across Virginia and North Carolina and has regularly adjudicated at Virginia Music Educators Association District Orchestra Festivals across the state. Her other guest conducting engagements include: Levine School of Music, James Madison University Spring String Thing, University of North Carolina at Greensboro Summer Music Camp, and Franklin Band and Orchestra Camp.
Mrs. Rupert lives in Clifton, Virginia with her husband Greg and their five sons - Benjamin, Nicholas, Nathaniel, Noah, and Michael. She enjoys being a mom, cub scout leader and violin and cello practice partner. She thanks you for the opportunity to work with your children in this setting and appreciates your support of the arts and orchestra programs. You may contact Mrs. Rupert at: rupertyso@hotmail.com
Gerald Fowkes is a 2001 graduate of Louisiana State University where he graduated summa cum laude in Cello Performance. His former teachers and mentors include Dennis Parker, Loran Stephenson, and Pamela Frame. In addition, he has studied conducting with Jindong Cai and Michael Butterman; and worked extensively with such artists as Gary Hoffman, Neeme Jarvi, Aldo Pariso, and Charles Castleman. He is an alumnus of YOPW and a past Virginia Governor's Scholar at the National Music Camp at Interlochen, Michigan. A former member of the Baton Rouge Symphony, he performs frequently as a freelance cellist throughout the Baltimore/Washington metro area.
Mr. Fowkes is currently the Director of Orchestras at The Center for the Fine and Performing Arts at Woodbridge High School. At Stonewall Middle School, his orchestras consistently received Superior ratings at District IX Orchestra Festival. He has had the distinct honor of conducting the Spotsylvania Jr. All-County Orchestra and has also served as an adjudicator for various festivals throughout the Northern Virginia region. He is a member of MENC and the Virginia Music Educators Association as well as a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society. Mr. Fowkes maintains a private cello studio at his home where he resides with his wife, Rebecca, daughter, Scout, and son, Isaac. You may contact Mr. Fowkes at: FowkesGI@pwcs.edu
Latoya Slocumb received her Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she studied violin with Rachel Huang and was a member of the BESK quartet. During the last four years she has performed regularly with the Mount Vernon Orchestra. Mrs. Slocumb has taught in Fairfax County Public Schools for seven years serving as director at Waynewood Elementary School and Carl Sandburg Middle School, and in 2005 she became the orchestra director at the new South County Secondary School. Her advanced orchestras at Carl Sandburg received consistent Superior ratings at District Orchestra Festivals in northern Virginia, Williamsburg, and Hershey, Pennsylvania. In recent years, Mrs. Slocumb has been a guest conductor at the James Madison Spring String Thing, Portsmouth Junior Regional Orchestra, Harrisonburg All-Regional Orchestra, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Middle School Honors Orchestra, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Summer Music Camp. Mrs. Slocumb recently received the Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year Award in her school community. Mrs. Slocumb resides in Springfield, Virginia with her husband Brendan Slocumb, who is also a musician. You may contact Mrs. Slocumb at: llslocs@hotmail.com
Beth Reed completed her Master of Music degree in Music Education at the Eastman School of Music in 2003. In 2001 she received her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education with a Performance Certificate in cello from the University of South Carolina. As a cellist she has performed with the Pan American Symphony Orchestra, Friends and Family Chamber Orchestra of Fairfax County, Signature String Quartet, Quartet Program at Bucknell University, Il Grazioso Piano Trio at the Orford Center of the Arts in Quebec, South Carolina Governor’s School of the Arts Resident String Quartet, Eastman Bartok String Quartet Seminar, and on broadcasts for SCETV, South Carolina Public Radio, and WVIA in Pennsylvania. Her teachers include David Ying of the Ying Quartet, Robert Jesselson, and Jacqueline Taylor. Currently Ms. Reed is an Orchestra director at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Fairfax County, Virginia You may contact Ms. Reed at:
Elizabeth.Reed@fcps.edu
