ARTISTIC STAFF

​Dr. Ingrid Lestrud

Artistic Director

Dr. Ingrid Lestrud enjoys an active career as a conductor and educator. Drawn to music and singing at an early age, she studied vocal performance as an undergraduate and discovered a passion for conducting choral and orchestral music. She went on to study orchestral conducting at the graduate level, eventually completing her Doctor of Music degree at Northwestern University, where she studied with Victor Yampolsky. While living in Chicago, Dr. Lestrud sang with the Chicago Symphony Chorus for several seasons under the baton of Riccardo Muti, performing in the Grammy award-winning recording of Verdi’s Requiem. She spent three years as the Voice Department Chair of the Merit School of Music, a community music school that serves over six thousand students with a focus on underserved communities. Collaborating with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, she worked with Renée Fleming to develop curriculum for Merit’s Solo Voice Program, and her choir performed for and with Ms. Fleming for special events. 

Dr. Lestrud has served on the faculty of several colleges in the midwest and on the east coast, leading both choral and orchestral programs. In 2022, she won the Mid-Atlantic Teaching Artists Innovate + Create contest for her work with Performers With Purpose, a youth ensemble she founded that combines music with service projects for the community. Formerly the Principal Associate Conductor of the Grammy award-winning National Children’s Chorus, she has worked with some of the finest young singers in the nation, preparing them for concerts at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the Kennedy Center.

In addition to The Arlington Chorale, Dr. Lestrud conducts two choruses through Encore Creativity, a choral organization for older adults that focuses on preparing high quality performances while fostering a sense of community through singing. She also serves as the Assistant Conductor for Capital City Symphony in Washington, D.C., conducting outreach concerts and leading the orchestra for the Atlas Performing Arts Center’s INTERSECTIONS Festival, a performing arts festival that illustrates where the art world and the real world intersect.

Julie Huang Tucker

Keyboard Artist

Julie Huang Tucker is a collaborative keyboard artist specializing in choral, organ, and tango music.

She is Associate Director and Accompanist of the Washington Men’s Camerata, and also accompanies the Washington Douglass Chorale and the Arlington Chorale.  As an organist, she has performed on the Kennedy Center Concert Hall stage with such notable ensembles as the National Symphony Orchestra, the Choral Arts Society of Washington, and the Washington Chorus.  She also serves as the pianist for QuinTango, an internationally-touring chamber tango ensemble, and as the music director at First Presbyterian Church of Arlington.

Julie was a conductor in the SHIFT Festival of American Orchestra’s symphonic workshop and a fellow at Yale’s chamber music festival.  During her term as Music Coordinator at the Amy Biehl Foundation Trust in South Africa, she mentored prison inmates and township children through choral music and music education.

When not performing or teaching music, Julie announces it as a host on Classical WETA 90.9, Washington’s classical music radio station.  She is a published writer of adventure articles, and enjoys such outdoor pursuits as mountain biking, cycling, and rock climbing.  

Kobe Brown

Joseph and Karen Luquire Conducting Fellow
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Kobe Brown is a multi-talented graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in choral conducting at the University of Maryland. Growing up in Huntsville AL, he has been interested in several contrasting career paths, such as graphic design, nursing, photography, and pharmacy. However, since joining the world-renowned choir “the Aeolians of Oakwood University”, he has fully committed himself to pursuing a career in choral conducting. He has performed in choirs nationally all over the United States, and internationally in many countries including the Dominican Republic, England, and South Africa. Kobe has achieved many high honors both chorally and individually. In 2022, he was awarded the Katherine & Richard Lester Emerging Arts Award for outstanding young musicians that have had a dramatic impact in the community. He strives to continue instilling an appreciation of choral music in youth and young adults.

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

Christine Jones

Executive Director

​Christine Jones joins the Arlington Chorale with over ten years of arts administration expertise. Her experience spans from running two concert halls and planning events at the University of Miami, to serving on the board of a D.C. area non-profit, to leading The United States Air Force Band’s social media team through the challenges of COVID-19.

Skilled at identifying gaps and filling needs, she founded the Women's Development Series, a highly successful speaker series serving military and civilian personnel throughout the DMV metropolitan area. Additionally, she launched The United States Air Force Band’s Diversity Fellowship in 2022, providing a unique opportunity for young professionals across the U.S. to rehearse, perform with, and learn from members of the Band in an intimate setting.

A classically trained trombonist, she earned degrees from Stetson University, The Juilliard School, and the University of Miami. Her background as both an arts administrator and a seasoned performer gives her a well-rounded perspective on the arts. She is thrilled to use these skills to guide the Arlington Chorale to new heights.

Amanda Steadman

Chorale Manager

Amanda Steadman is thrilled to continue serving the Arlington Chorale as Chorale Manager. A singing member since 2017, Amanda also serves as a Chorale board member and webmaster. She holds degrees in music from Edinboro University and Bowling Green State University. In her full-time position as Music Library Coordinator at American University, she works closely with music students and faculty, connecting them with music that inspires creativity and introspection.