Short biographies highlighting some of the NIH Philharmonia musicians.
Max Behrens —violin—Allergy and Infectious Disease Research Fellow
Originally from Minnesota, Max Behrens (Maxwell H. Behrens if you're going full) received his bachelor's degree in 2006 from Tulane University, where he studied Music and Cell and Molecular Biology. In addition to playing in and managing Tulane's orchestra, Max also played the violin in the New Orleans Chamber Orchestra, and performed extensively as a jazz drummer in New Orleans. He is currently a Pre-Doctoral Intramural Research Training Award Fellow in the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, where he does research in the field of tumor immunology.
Emily Bentgen —oboe—Graphic Artist
Emily Bentgen is a freelance musician in the Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. area. Emily has a B. A. in music and a minor in commercial art. Emily had fellowships with Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, and Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. Some of the orchestras she has played in include: Scandinavian Symphony of Detroit, Detroit Sinfonia, and Michigan Lyric Opera in Michigan; Lake Forest Symphony, Peoria Symphony, Rockford Symphony, Illinois Valley Orchestra in Illinois. In this area, Washington Symphony, Loudoun Symphony and Rappahannock Pops. Currently, Emily is Principal Oboe with NIH Philharmonia, Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic and The Friday Morning Music Chorale Orchestra. In her spare time, Emily enjoys designing websites and creating graphic arts projects.
Bill Bentgen —double bass—Labor Relations Manager
Bill attended 14 different colleges and universities including the Univirsity of Michigan and the University of Singapore. He is a Viet Nam veteran, and has worked for over 35 years as a Labor Relations Manager. He has played in numerous orchestras, chamber groups, and jazz ensembles, including the Detroit Sinfonia, Michigan Lyric Opera, Scandinavian Symphony of Detroit, Rockford Symphony, Washington Symphony, Loudoun Symphony, and Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic.
Martin Brown —violin—Economist
Dr. Brown, Ph.D., has been the Chief of NCI's Health Services and Economics Branch since it was upgraded from a project in 1999. He received his Ph.D. in Natural Resource Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1981. His current research focuses on the economics burden of cancer prevention and control. He is working to improve the system of healthcare delivery organization and financing by studying the impacts of socioeconomic status, estimating the cost-effectiveness of specific cancer prevention and control strategies, and developing and evaluating methods of estimating the cost-effectiveness of various programs and policies. Dr. Brown is also economics editor of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, and serves on a national consortium that conducts population-based research on cancer epidemiology, prevention and control.
Amelia Colarco —viola— Atmospheric Scientist
Amelia Colarco received her Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from the University of Colorado in 2002 and now is a research faculty member at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She is currently looking at satellite measurements of atmospheric aerosols. Her primary interest is determining the quality of these measurements and how they can be used along with global atmospheric models to predict the effects of aerosols on climate. She also maintains an instrument to measure carbon dioxide at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD.
Amy DeLouise —violin—Nonprofit Marketing Consultant
Amy helps nonprofit's market and fund their mission through better branding and board development. She has also written and directed more than 500 video, DVD, web and television productions and is the recipient of the prestigious Women of Vision Leadership Award from Women in Film and Video. An active volunteer, Amy is a Trustee of the Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, serves on the Women’s Advisory Board of The Washington Group of Massachusetts Mutual, and directs the Children’s Choir of Western Presbyterian Church. She performs with the women’s a cappella octet Venus d Minor. In her spare time she is a cook, gardener, loving wife and mother of two wonderful boys.
Martin Fullenbaum —cello— Energy Consultant
Martin Fullenbaum has a BA and Ph.D. in physics from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Maryland, respectively, and an MBA from Lehigh University. Dr. Fullenbaum works currently as an energy consultant in Columbia Maryland for Exeter Associates, Inc. In that role, he is responsible for evaluating power supply options for a number of Department of Energy Laboratories around the country and has testified regarding electric utility cost and rate design matters before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Maryland Public Service Commission.
Robin Gelman —bassoon— Senior Financial Analyst
Ms. Gelman, a native New Yorker, completed her formal education at Oberlin College and Conservatory (Math and Performance), The Juilliard School (1992-Masters in Music) and Johns Hopkins University (2000-Masters in Business Administration). Robin works for Lockheed Martin Corporation, where she is a Senior Financial Analyst. When not teaching, freelancing, or working, Robin is also active in sports and is a member of the Montgomery County Barncats, one of 6 teams that make up the Eastern Women's Baseball Conference, where she is a starting pitcher.
Susanne Goldberg —flute— Chemist
Susanne Goldberg has played flute for the past 20 years and has studied at the Interlochen Center for the Arts and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She received her BS in Chemistry from UNC Chapel Hill and her MS in Forensic Chemistry from the University of Virginia in conjunction with the FBI Academy. She currently works as a Scientist/Project Manager in the New Technology Development Group at the J. Craig Venter Institute in Rockville, MD.
Xiaobin Guan —violin— Scientist
Xiaobin received his MD from Nantong Medical College in China, and Ph.D. in Neurosciences from Kent State University. He is currently working in the Bioinformatics Group of NIH Intramural Sequencing Center, National Human Genome Research Institute of NIH. Xiaobin also plays a Chinese fiddle (Erhu). He is the President of the Washington Erhu Association and a member of the Washington Chinese Traditional Orchestra. Dr. Guan also holds an adjunct faculty position at University of Maryland University College teaching database courses.
Ed Kaita —clarinet— Calibration Scientist (and aspiring Zymurgist)
Ed received his BS and MS degrees in Physics and Astronomy and is employed by SSAI at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. His work involves developing and testing the ability of satellite instruments to measure what they were designed to measure, and then maintaining the quality of measurements during its lifetime in Earth's orbit. He has worked with several different spacecraft instruments, including those aboard the Landsat, Cosmological Background Explorer (COBE), and the Hubble Space Telescope observatories. His passion for space and music notwithstanding, he claims to know more about good beer Ia Zymurgist is someone who studies the art of brewing beer) than anything else -- he has yet to figure out how successfully combine all 3.
Jim Kofski —violin— Catholic Priest
Violinist Jim Kofski is a Catholic missionary priest who works in the Maryknoll justice and peace office in Washington, D.C. He focuses on Asia-Pacific and Middle East issues. He previously served in Cairo, Jerusalem and Bangkok, where he also played in local ensembles. The Minneapolis native earlier taught in the Peace Corps and completed graduate studies in the Philippines. Prior to entering the seminary he was a news reporter and editor with The Associated Press.
Susan Lieberman —cello—Psychotherapist
Susan Lieberman grew up in the New York City area. Her mother, a concert pianist, wanted her to follow in the footsteps of her famous cellist brother, Emanuel Feuermann. She studied cello, through high school. Afterwards, she dropped the cello for 25 years, but went back to chamber music playing 15 years ago. She plays yearly in the Gettysburg Chamber Music Workshop and welcomed the chance to join the Philharmonia in order to work on the great symphonic works. Susan earned a BA from Barnard College and a MSW in Social Work from Catholic University. Her private psychotherapy practice and my 4 wonderful grandchildren on both coasts keep her busy.
And for her, music is "the icing on the cake".
Donald Maclean —viola—Computer Security
A graduate of Oberlin, Donald Maclean works in the computer security department for British Aerospace
Engineering (BAE). Currently Donald Maclean serves as principal viola of the Friday
Morning Music Club, and is also a member of the McLean Orchestra. Mr. Maclean
performs frequently in the area with various orchestras and chamber
groups. Donald has two children, both of whom play string instruments. His
son, Ellis, plays the violin, and daughter, Georgia, plays the cello.
Donald is quoted as saying "I play music in the naive belief that it makes the world a better place."
Ginger McLaughlin —viola— Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Violist Ginger McLaughlin earned a BS and MS in nursing from the University of Michigan and is certified as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Currently, she is the general manager of the NIH Philharmonia. In addition to her music endeavors, she is a fabric artist and the organizer of the Edgemoor Art and Fine Craft Show.
Carol Newman —cello— Clinical Psychologist
Carol Newman, cellist, is a Clinical Psychologist doing individual, couple and group psychotherapy and clinical hypnosis. She started the cello at the High School of Music and Art, which she entered playing piano, and has continued it ever since, except when her two children were young when playing the piano worked better at that time. She studied with Marie Romet Rosanoff, Luigi Silva, Yehuda Hanani and in the last few years with Robert Battey. She worked at NIH in the Adult Psychiatry branch between earning her Masters and her Ph.D.
Allison Nugent —flute— Scientist
Allison Nugent received her PhD in Physics from Duke University, working in imaging as a James B. Duke fellow. She is now employed by the National Institutes of Mental Health, working in the Section on Neuroimaging in Mood and Anxiety Disorders. Her research interests include the study of functional connectivity in the brain, and neurophysiology associated with the development of bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. When not working or playing flute, Allison is an avid photographer, and enjoys amusing her dogs.
Molly Puente — violin — Presidential Management Fellow
Molly recently moved here from North Carolina where she completed her Ph.D. in Entomology and Masters in Public Administration from North Carolina State University. While in graduate school, she played violin with the Raleigh Civic Symphony. She is currently in the Presidential Management Fellows program at NIH where she will spend two years rotating through various career tracks including grants management, science communications, and policy analyst. She has yet to decide what she wants to be when she grows up.
Wayne Randall —viola— Web Developer
Wayne Randall, a native Californian, received is B.M. in Violin Performance from California State University, Sacramento where he studied with Bill Barbini and Ward Fenley, and completed graduate work in ethnomusicology at UCLA where he performed with Tito Puente, Elaine Barkin, and Suzanne Teng. He currently works as a Web Developer with BrowserMedia, LLC, an award winning interactive agency, serving more than 200 associations and commercial organizations worldwide. When not developing web sites, Wayne enjoys composing and playing improvisational, experimental music.
Susan Reynolds —bassoon— Structural Engineer
Susan holds degrees in Structural Engineering, Architecture, and Spanish. She currently works as a structural engineer at HSMM; she is also a registered architect. Susan is an urbanist and is proud to rely on her feet, bike, and the Metro for transportation (except when Ginger or Andy drives her to the NIH Phil concerts of course!). When not playing the bassoon, she's often found coaching the Auburn Alumni Softball team on the National Mall or playing in other various sports leagues all around the District.
Ann Ryu —violin— Mathematics Educator
Ms. Ryu, a native Californian, is an assistant professor of mathematics education at the University of Maryland. She did her undergraduate degree at Harvard University in Applied Mathematics and received her Ph.D. in Mathematics Education at the University of California, Berkeley. She studies mathematical cognition and learning as well as the preparation of K-12 mathematics teachers. After an 11 year hiatus, she started playing the violin again during graduate school and has since performed in numerous community and regional orchestras and chamber music groups.
Michael Stein —cello— Computer Programmer
Mr. Stein is a computer programmer with the Northrop Grumman Mission Systems.
He currently works on software for the Defense Information Systems Agency.
In addition to the NIH Philharmonia, he is a 'cellist and board member of the
Arlington Philharmonic, and plays with the Forest Glen String Quartet and
Victoria Lyric Opera Company. He is an officer of Congregation Etz Hayim in
Arlington and a member of the board of the Holocaust History Project.
Prem Subramanian —horn— Neuro-Ophthalmologist
Dr. Subramanian has played horn for over 25 years (!), including study at the Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, Houston. He is an active duty Major in the US Army and currently works as a neuro-ophthalmologist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, having received his MD and PhD degrees from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston (PhD in molecular genetics). He is also an assistant professor of surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) in Bethesda.
Ronald Vazquez —clarinet— Senior Systems Programmer
A native of Salinas, Puerto Rico, clarinetist Ronald Vazquez holds a Bachelor of Music degree in clarinet performance from the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, a Master of Music degree in Clarinet performance from the University of Maryland at College Park, and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in clarinet performance at the University of Maryland at College Park. He has authored and published "A Book for the Clarinet Reed-Maker," an illustrated single reed-making method for both clarinet and saxophone. Mr. Vazquez joined the U.S. Navy in 1989 and performed in several Naval ensembles as both a clarinetist and saxophonist in his assignments in Pearl Harbor, HI, and Annapolis, MD. Mr. Vazquez left the Navy in 1999 and is now an IT professional with Stelor Technologies as a Systems Programmer. He also stays musically active as a member of the Annapolis Wind Symphony and other performing ensembles.
Kayoko Yoshida —violin—
Ms. Yoshida is from Osaka, Japan and came to the U.S. in October 2007.
She has played the violin for almost 24 years.
In 1993 and 1994, Yoshida was chosen in Mainichi Student violin Competition in the Osaka Japan area.?
In Spring of 1995, she participated in Soai Gakuen Concert held in European countries and Russia.
Kayoko graduated from Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine.
Her husband works at NIH.
Chris White-Horne —trombone— Aeronautical Engineer
Chris works at the British Embassy in Washington DC, where he is Attaché for Defense Technology. He previously lived near Munich, in southern Germany, where he played traditional Bavarian music in the town band Before that he lived in Oxford, UK. Chris has a passion for flying sailplanes and light aircraft, has traveled various parts of the world by tandem and has recently learned to ride the unicycle (although he has not yet dared to play the trombone at the same time as riding it!)
