Administrative Staff

Tomoko Azuma, Executive Director

Tomoko Azuma is currently in her ninth season with the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras (AYPO).  She is responsible for managing the administrative staff and overseeing the operations of the Association in accordance with policies established by the Board of Directors and Executive Committee.

Ms. Azuma was selected as a member of the Cambridge’s “Who’s Who of Executives and Professionals”. She attended the University of Michigan's School of Music from 2000-2002, where she received her Masters degree in Percussion Performance.  She has appeared and toured as soloist in Israel, performed in Austria, and was the sole U.S representative to advance in the Stuttgart World Marimba Competition. As an educator, she has coached as a mentor with the Detroit Civic Youth Orchestra, presented master classes to the public on keyboard percussion technique, and taught privately. Through her undergraduate work as a Humanities Scholar at the University of Delaware, she was afforded the opportunity to complete studies with Bill Moersch, Gordon Stout, and Nancy Zeltsman.  Ms. Azuma has also studied solo marimba literature with the internationally acclaimed marimbist, Keiko Abe.  Besides playing in a solo capacity, Ms. Azuma has performed and recorded with the University of Michigan's Symphony Orchestra, Band, Percussion Ensemble, and Steel Band (Panchita).  She is recorded on the Equilibrium label as a featured soloist on the CD, Transmuations and Metamorphoses.  Her primary teachers have been Harvey Price and Michael Udow. 

E-mail: tazuma@aypo.org

Holly Hanneke, General Manager

Holly Hanneke joined AYPO in June 2004. Her responsibilities include overseeing the day-to-day activities of all four orchestras, their personnel, and volunteer staff. She organizes all aspects of rehearsals, secures concert sites, is a contact for the artistic staff, and is a liaison for guest artists. She also manages music acquisition and distribution and oversees all aspects of AYPO annual auditions.

Her previous position was at the Kennedy Center, where she was an intern working for the National Symphony Orchestra Education department. Her duties there included scheduling the In-School Ensemble program, which brings NSO musicians into DC public school classrooms, assisting with Family Concerts and Kinder Konzerts, and assisting with the Young Soloists Competition and Youth Fellowship program. She has also previously interned at The Choral Arts Society of Washington.

Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Holly attended Elmhurst College in Chicago, where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Music Business, graduating  magna cum laude. At Elmhurst, she studied piano and was a member of and accompanist for the Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, and Women’s Chorus. She held leadership roles in these organizations, and was also a member of Lambda Sigma Psi, a music honor society, and the Music Business Student Association.

E-mail: hhanneke@aypo.org

Michelle Wallace, Education & Outreach Manager

Michelle Wallace joined AYPO in September 2006. She oversees the Music Buddies Mentorship Program and Chamber Ensemble Program, ensuring they have practice space, music and necessary supplies. She is also responsible for front of house concert operations, public relations, advertising, design and content of the concert programs and Vivace newsletters, and website maintenance.

Michelle currently resides in Virginia and has also lived in Massachusetts, Alaska, New York and California, growing up as a military child in a United States Coast Guard family. She played the clarinet for six years in her youth. While studying at the University of Maryland, Michelle was a Resident Assistant for incoming freshman students for three semesters. In 2004 she worked with UMD Conferences and Visitor Services to manage sports camps and programs such as the Special Olympics and Odyssey of the Mind’s international competition.

In the spring of 2005 Michelle studied abroad in Brisbane, Australia where she studied Australian literature and Aboriginal culture. During her last semester at the University of Maryland, Michelle was the Special Events Intern at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. She was involved with fundraising and planning for the annual silent auction and gala. Michelle graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Language and Literature. She is currently in the certificate program for Photography & Emerging Imaging at Northern Virginia Community College.

E-mail: mwallace@aypo.org

Lauren Hill, Summer Intern (E-mail: intern@aypo.org)

Bethany Thompson, Operations Manager

Tomas Primeau, Stage Manager

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