OUR FACULTY

ELM teachers inspire and mentor our students. They are skilled musician/educators who set the bar high and share their profound love of music with joy and enthusiasm. We are committed to giving our students an intensive, individualized and high quality music and ensemble education.

Juan Palacios

Music Conductor and Wind & Brass Director

  • Juan brings passion to his work as a conductor, his creativity as a composer and his commitment as an educator. He is always seeking to share his love for music with others. During his nearly 40 years as a conductor, Juan has led orchestras in Venezuela, Brazil, and the U.S.

    As an educator, he collaborates with the San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory, NIA National Youth Orchestra program in Philipsburg and Sint Maarten, and the Guayaquil Youth Symphony.

Jessie O'Hara Maestas

Artistic and Education Director

  • Jessie O’Hara Maestas was born and raised in Las Cruces, New Mexico, to a family of performing artists and teachers. She earned her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees at New Mexico State University. In addition to chamber music performances, Jessie played as a section violinist with the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra, West Texas Symphony, El Paso Symphony Orchestra, New Mexico Philharmonic, and the Santa Fe Symphony.

    Jessie is a current Leaders Fellow with the Teaching Artists Training Institute, an alumna of the Academy for Impact through Music’s Firebird Fellowship, and serves on the Membership and Engagement Committee for El Sistema USA.

    Her passion for equitable music education began when she read about the El Sistema ethos and stayed with her during her graduate work, leading her to join the El Paso Symphony Orchestra’s Tocando Music Project in 2018, where she worked with students on the border of Texas and Mexico. She continued to serve as Director of Programs from 2021 - 2025, guiding artistic and educational initiatives across multiple sites while mentoring students and a team of Teaching Artists.

    Jessie is thrilled to have the opportunity to bring her lived experience of bilingual and multicultural leadership to ELM, supporting rich teaching practices and artistic choices that help students build confidence through competence, experience joy through community, and engage with the extraordinary challenge of learning music using a compassionate and growth-minded lens.

    When she’s not working with the great community of students and Teaching Artists at ELM, you’ll probably find her reading a good book, picking flowers in her East Bay neighborhood, or cooking a meal to share with her wife.

Carol Adee

Teaching Artist - Flute

  • Carol Adee was surrounded by people singing and playing music as she was growing up. She began playing flute, violin and cello in grade school and continued in high school while also studying dance and singing in choirs. Holding a M.M. from Yale School of Music, she has played with San Francisco Symphony, Ballet and Opera Orchestras along with other Bay Area orchestras, including touring and recording as principal flute with Women’s Philharmonic for 15 years.

    As a founding member of ECHO Chamber Orchestra, Carol is working to create collaborative orchestral experiences for musicians and audiences. She has taught flute and chamber music at Stanford and Dominican Universities. Her many years as Music Director at Marin Waldorf School have contributed to her collaborative spirit and interest in integrating music, art and movement into other subjects.

Michael Fecskes

Teaching Artist - Cello

  • Michael is a professional cellist, composer, and educator who performs throughout the Bay Area and beyond. He leads the strings program at Marin Waldorf School and previously served as Artistic Director  and a Teaching Artist at ViVO Youth Orchestras in Sonoma. Trained in cello performance, chamber music, and classical voice at Sonoma State University, with additional study at the San Francisco Conservatory, Michael is now passionate about fostering a lifelong love of music in young people. His compositions, influenced by his Hungarian and Caribbean heritage, are written to inspire the contemporary mind, body, and soul. When he is not in the classroom, you’re likely to find him in the garden. 

Lindsey Ha

Teaching Artist - Clarinet

  • Lindsey is a clarinetist and music educator born and raised in the Bay Area. She enjoys teaching students of all ages and believes that musicians of any skill level can find joy in music. She holds a Bachelor of Music from UCLA and a Master of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. 

    As a freelance musician, Lindsey performs with orchestras, bands, operas, and ballet companies across the bay. She also enjoys performing in chamber ensembles, musicals and in studio sessions. Her music has taken her all over the world, performing in countries such as Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Czechia and Mexico. During the summer, you can find Lindsey performing as a member of the Golden Gate Park Band. In addition to ELM, she is also an educator currently working for Vacaville Unified School District.

Brian Kemble

Teaching Artist - Trombone

  • Brian began to develop a love for music as a student in Southern California and traveled to nearly every US state in search of great teachers, colleagues, and experiences in the arts. The impetus for their move to Northern California came through a performing position with the U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West where they led the Travis Brass Quintet, performed in the Concert Band, and served as an Audio/Video Director. After completing four years touring with the Air Force Bands, Brian began educating and freelancing in both the Bay Area and Central Valley with orchestras and chamber ensembles across the region. 

    They have an extensive educational background including an Undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Master's degree from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Additionally, Brian has a certificate in Audio for Film Production from the Berklee College of Music, a Certificate in Project Management from Sacramento State University, and multiple certifications in Information Technology through their studies at Asher College in Sacramento. They freelance as an Audio Engineer and have worked in such a capacity with the Grand Teton Music Festival and Wondery/Amazon Podcasts.

Christina Lesicko

Teaching Artist - Violin/Viola

  • Christina holds degrees in Viola Performance and Education from Youngstown State University and the University of Guadalajara. She studied with various teachers including former National Symphony member John Wilcox and also John Largess of the Miró Quartet. She has played with numerous small ensembles and orchestras across the country and has taught violin and viola students of all ages.

    Her passion and love for music and excellence in music education has given her the opportunity to perform and teach in San Francisco and the Bay Area. Christina is passionate about the El Sistema model that recognizes that music is not only enrichment, but can positively impact students’ lives forever.

Fabiola Marinero

Teaching Artist - Violin

  • Fabiola Marinero is a violinist/violist, educator, and proud Salvadoran immigrant whose work centers equity, access, and cultural connection in music education. A graduate of UC Berkeley’s Music Department, she has taught with Youth Music Choral Orchestra (YMCO), Harmony Project, where she launched the Summer Town Strings program, Oakland Unified School District, and the Music Mission SF.

    As a performer, Fabiola has appeared with the Golden Gate Symphony Orchestra, the UC Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, and chamber ensembles throughout the Bay Area. Her recent highlights include performing alongside members of the New World Symphony and playing alongside Billie Eilish in her Happier Than Ever music film. 

    She brings a culturally responsive, student-centered approach to her teaching and is passionate about creating joyful, inclusive spaces where young musicians can grow with confidence and creativity.

Ana Quintero

Teaching Artist - Violin

  • Ana María Quintero is a violinist and educator born in Bogotá, Colombia. Ana began her studies at the age of six with her mother Clara Muñoz, she has an undergraduate degree from the Juan N. Corpas University and a master's degree from New Mexico State University. She currently has a multifaceted artistic life as an orchestral musician, Teaching Artist and facilitator.

    Ana María believes music education is an excellent conduit to develop creativity, critical thinking, and citizenship in young people and feels honored to have the chance to be part of it in the Bay Area.

    Ana recently moved from El Paso and is in awe of everything California has to offer!

Owen Miyoshi

Teaching Artist - Trumpet

  • Owen, a Berkeley native, graduated from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he studied with David Burkhart. He has been performing and teaching trumpet in the Bay Area for over 25 years. A member with the Monterey Symphony since 2000, and San Francisco Chamber Orchestra as well as a regular sub with Symphony San Jose for the last 22 years. He also freelances with many orchestras throughout the Bay Area.

    In addition to performing and teaching at ELM, Owen teaches private lessons and is the trumpet coach at Berkeley and El Cerrito high schools. Outside of music, Owen is an avid cyclist where he does masters racing and endurance ride events.

Octavio Mujica

Teaching Artist - Cello

  • Octavio is a Venezuelan American artist with an extensive background in performance and teaching. He recently earned his master’s degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Octavio has won several awards including the Latin Grammy Foundation Scholarship, the Blair Scholarship, the Barron String Orchestral Scholarship, and the William E. Duckwitz Talent Scholarship. He has performed as a soloist with the SFCM Baroque Ensemble, Simón Bolívar Orchestra of Táchira, and the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra. In his free time, Octavio enjoys playing sports, singing, and reading a good book.

ELM provides youth with an immersive music education that empowers them to pursue their dreams and access resources they need to succeed in life.

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