Anna Binneweg
Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Music Director
As Music Director/Conductor of the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic (Alexandria VA), the Naptown Philharmonic Orchestra (Annapolis MD), the AACC Symphony Orchestra at Anne Arundel Community College (Arnold MD) and a frequent guest conductor on the national and international scene, Binneweg repeatedly captures audiences with her enthusiasm and passion for music. Her orchestras’ shared focus and energy makes orchestral music sound new, fresh, and exciting. Her programs and performances are alluring, engaging and attract audiences of all ages, particularly making classical music more appealing to younger generations.
Over the course of her career, Binneweg has performed in some of the nation’s most reputable concert venues including The Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall, the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore MD) and the Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles CA). Her international conducting experiences include tours to Austria and Spain and guest appearances with the Chernihiv Philharmonic (Ukraine), Lviv Virtuosi (Ukraine) and the Minsk Conservatory Orchestra (Belarus).
A committed music educator, Binneweg’s youth orchestra experience includes appointments with the Houston Youth Symphony (Houston TX) and the San Luis Obispo Youth Symphony (San Luis Obispo CA). In addition to her guest conducting appearances with colleges and universities throughout the United States, she has served as guest conductor for prestigious All-State festivals such as Maryland and Vermont in recent seasons. She is in frequent demand as an orchestra clinician and adjudicator throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and served on the national executive board of directors for the College Orchestra Directors Association (CODA) from 2014-2018.
She has worked with conducting mentors such as Leonard Slatkin, Daniel Barenboim, Robert Spano, James Paul, Michael Morgan, Duaine Wolfe, Nurhan Arman and David Effron through various engagements sponsored by the League of American Orchestras, the Conductors Institute of New York and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. Most recently, Binneweg was elected to the board of directors of the International Conductors Guild (2021) where she advocates for women conductors in the field.
Earning a doctorate degree of music in orchestral conducting from Northwestern University where she studied with Victor Yampolsky, she has also served on the conducting faculties at Loyola University (Chicago, IL), the Sherwood Conservatory of Music (Chicago IL), and American University (Washington DC).
Binneweg is the recipient of the 2015 Annie Award for the Performing Arts awarded by the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County. As an active conductor,, she remains committed to igniting passion and unity in her community through live performance.
Learn more about Anna at annabinneweg.com
Over the course of her career, Binneweg has performed in some of the nation’s most reputable concert venues including The Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall, the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore MD) and the Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles CA). Her international conducting experiences include tours to Austria and Spain and guest appearances with the Chernihiv Philharmonic (Ukraine), Lviv Virtuosi (Ukraine) and the Minsk Conservatory Orchestra (Belarus).
A committed music educator, Binneweg’s youth orchestra experience includes appointments with the Houston Youth Symphony (Houston TX) and the San Luis Obispo Youth Symphony (San Luis Obispo CA). In addition to her guest conducting appearances with colleges and universities throughout the United States, she has served as guest conductor for prestigious All-State festivals such as Maryland and Vermont in recent seasons. She is in frequent demand as an orchestra clinician and adjudicator throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and served on the national executive board of directors for the College Orchestra Directors Association (CODA) from 2014-2018.
She has worked with conducting mentors such as Leonard Slatkin, Daniel Barenboim, Robert Spano, James Paul, Michael Morgan, Duaine Wolfe, Nurhan Arman and David Effron through various engagements sponsored by the League of American Orchestras, the Conductors Institute of New York and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. Most recently, Binneweg was elected to the board of directors of the International Conductors Guild (2021) where she advocates for women conductors in the field.
Earning a doctorate degree of music in orchestral conducting from Northwestern University where she studied with Victor Yampolsky, she has also served on the conducting faculties at Loyola University (Chicago, IL), the Sherwood Conservatory of Music (Chicago IL), and American University (Washington DC).
Binneweg is the recipient of the 2015 Annie Award for the Performing Arts awarded by the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County. As an active conductor,, she remains committed to igniting passion and unity in her community through live performance.
Learn more about Anna at annabinneweg.com
Alberto Rodriguez
Washington Metropolitan Youth Orchestra Director
Maestro Al Rodriguez is an educator, conductor, guest clinician, presenter, and performer in the Northern Virginia Area. A two time “Orchestra Director of the Year” winner from the Fairfax Orchestra Directors Association and a Quarterfinalist for the 2024 Music Educator Award presented by the GRAMMY Foundation, Al has served as Director of Orchestras at Mount Vernon High School in Alexandria, VA since 2017 and was recently named Music Director of the Washington Metropolitan Youth Orchestra. Under his leadership at Mount Vernon, the program has grown in both numbers and quality in addition to providing his students with unique world premiere and guest clinician opportunities. His ensembles have received multiple Superior ratings at the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association state assessment events.
In addition to his work in the classroom and on the podium, Al is a versatile musician who maintains an active schedule as an electric and upright bassist across the DMV area and has played in multiple touring bands across the country over the past decade.
Al received a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2015 and a M.M. in Music Education from Ithaca College in 2021. Al is incredibly grateful to the WMPA for their trust and confidence in his mission of developing an ensemble committed to diversity, opportunity, and student growth.
In addition to his work in the classroom and on the podium, Al is a versatile musician who maintains an active schedule as an electric and upright bassist across the DMV area and has played in multiple touring bands across the country over the past decade.
Al received a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2015 and a M.M. in Music Education from Ithaca College in 2021. Al is incredibly grateful to the WMPA for their trust and confidence in his mission of developing an ensemble committed to diversity, opportunity, and student growth.
Martin Garfield-Levine
Washington Metropolitan Concert Orchestra Director
Martin Garfield-Levine joined WMPA as the new Music Director of the Washington Metropolitan Concert Orchestra in September 2023. He is a dedicated educator with ten years of teaching to his name, and a commitment to bringing arts education to all learners with no exceptions. He is the Director of Orchestras at Twain Middle School in Alexandria, where he consistently leads his ensembles to success with Superior and Excellent ratings at state assessments, first places at competitions, and strong musical connections in the community.
Martin grew up in Colorado, starting the violin when he was eight years old. He participated in school ensembles and community orchestras similar to the WMCO throughout his childhood, which inspired a lifelong love of music and a drive to teach music himself. He graduated with a Bachelors in Music Education from the University of Colorado in 2014, and received his Masters in Arts Management in 2022. His thesis focused on methods to equitably assess music learning with students from different socioeconomic areas. He uses his degrees to create equitable, inclusive, and accessible arts spaces for students to explore and learn with no barriers. He has taught all levels of music, from kindergarten general music to high school full orchestral groups.
In addition to his work in the classroom and on the podium, Martin is an active musician in the Washington DC area. He performs as a solo musician, substitutes in professional orchestras, and is a member of two touring bands. While well versed in classical repertoire, he is an expert fiddle player, specializing in Irish and Scottish traditions and performs regularly as the featured musician at festivals and events. He fully believes that there is too much music in the world to focus fully on just one type, and works to program music that grows the technique of his students, while opening up their minds to traditions and cultures all over the world.
Martin grew up in Colorado, starting the violin when he was eight years old. He participated in school ensembles and community orchestras similar to the WMCO throughout his childhood, which inspired a lifelong love of music and a drive to teach music himself. He graduated with a Bachelors in Music Education from the University of Colorado in 2014, and received his Masters in Arts Management in 2022. His thesis focused on methods to equitably assess music learning with students from different socioeconomic areas. He uses his degrees to create equitable, inclusive, and accessible arts spaces for students to explore and learn with no barriers. He has taught all levels of music, from kindergarten general music to high school full orchestral groups.
In addition to his work in the classroom and on the podium, Martin is an active musician in the Washington DC area. He performs as a solo musician, substitutes in professional orchestras, and is a member of two touring bands. While well versed in classical repertoire, he is an expert fiddle player, specializing in Irish and Scottish traditions and performs regularly as the featured musician at festivals and events. He fully believes that there is too much music in the world to focus fully on just one type, and works to program music that grows the technique of his students, while opening up their minds to traditions and cultures all over the world.
Robert Katz
Washington Metropolitan Youth Orchestra Assistant Director
Robert Katz is a music educator from the Northern Virginia area, and a WMYO alum. Robert is excited to be back with the organization and work with current students as Assistant Director. He graduated summa cum laude from George Mason University where he received his bachelor of music in music education with a minor in string pedagogy. Robert serves as the Director of the Kilmer MS Orchestra program in Vienna Virginia, where he leads 5 orchestras striving for growth and musical excellence. Outside of these Orchestras Robert maintains a private violin/viola studio where he has led students through recitals, district, and regional auditions. Outside of his teaching Robert gigs professionally as a violist/violinist in the greater DMV area.
Ulysses James
Music Director Laureate
Ulysses S. James graduated from Brown University with a major in Music, and studied trombone his
senior year with William Gibson, the first trombonist of the Boston Symphony. He then attended the Tanglewood Summer Music Festival to continue his studies with Gibson. Afterwards, the Viet Nam era Draft Board invited him to join the military, and Ul opted to attend the Navy’s Officer Candidate School in Newport R.I. He served 20 years as a Surface Warfare Naval Officer retiring in 1974 as a Commander.
After Navy retirement, he was immediately drawn back into music and began to study cello. His daughter was the concertmistress of the Mount Vernon Junior Chamber Orchestra for high school aged musicians. He met the director H. Stevens Brewster, Principal Bassist in the National Symphony Orchestra, one of the founders of Mount Vernon Chamber Orchestra in 1971 and founder of the Junior Chamber Orchestra in 1973. On April 23, 1984 he was tragically killed in a car crash on Route I, Alexandria. His spouse asked Ul to work with the Junior Chamber Orchestra in that his daughter was already the concertmistress, since they knew he had a musical background. A short time after, many of the professional members of the Mount Vernon Chamber Orchestra decided to leave the orchestra. After unsuccessfully attempting to engage a conductor for the remaining neighborhood members, he offered to conduct it as well. Several months later, the orchestra asked him to become their Conductor.
He continued to conduct the adult and youth orchestras until 2011 when Dr. Henry Sgressi became the Conductor and Music Director of the youth orchestra. In 2011 he, Dr. Sgrecci and Ms. Ruth Erbe founded the Association’s third orchestra for middle school
musicians. It was named the Mount Vernon Metropolitan Concert Orchestra and was lead by Ms. Ruth Erbe.
In 1985, Ul began conducting with the Mount Vernon Chamber Orchestra and inherited a small group of string players having varying abilities. To encourage members to enjoy and excel, he began to infuse the orchestra’s concert repertoire with as much outstanding, contemporary tonal works as possible. That effort continued throughout the next 38 years, and in the 2018-19 season the Philharmonic performed an entire season of outstanding woman composers.
In 1986 he founded the Association’s Summer Chamber Music at the Lyceum.
He retired as WMPA’s Music and Artistic Director at the end of the 2022-2023 Season.
senior year with William Gibson, the first trombonist of the Boston Symphony. He then attended the Tanglewood Summer Music Festival to continue his studies with Gibson. Afterwards, the Viet Nam era Draft Board invited him to join the military, and Ul opted to attend the Navy’s Officer Candidate School in Newport R.I. He served 20 years as a Surface Warfare Naval Officer retiring in 1974 as a Commander.
After Navy retirement, he was immediately drawn back into music and began to study cello. His daughter was the concertmistress of the Mount Vernon Junior Chamber Orchestra for high school aged musicians. He met the director H. Stevens Brewster, Principal Bassist in the National Symphony Orchestra, one of the founders of Mount Vernon Chamber Orchestra in 1971 and founder of the Junior Chamber Orchestra in 1973. On April 23, 1984 he was tragically killed in a car crash on Route I, Alexandria. His spouse asked Ul to work with the Junior Chamber Orchestra in that his daughter was already the concertmistress, since they knew he had a musical background. A short time after, many of the professional members of the Mount Vernon Chamber Orchestra decided to leave the orchestra. After unsuccessfully attempting to engage a conductor for the remaining neighborhood members, he offered to conduct it as well. Several months later, the orchestra asked him to become their Conductor.
He continued to conduct the adult and youth orchestras until 2011 when Dr. Henry Sgressi became the Conductor and Music Director of the youth orchestra. In 2011 he, Dr. Sgrecci and Ms. Ruth Erbe founded the Association’s third orchestra for middle school
musicians. It was named the Mount Vernon Metropolitan Concert Orchestra and was lead by Ms. Ruth Erbe.
In 1985, Ul began conducting with the Mount Vernon Chamber Orchestra and inherited a small group of string players having varying abilities. To encourage members to enjoy and excel, he began to infuse the orchestra’s concert repertoire with as much outstanding, contemporary tonal works as possible. That effort continued throughout the next 38 years, and in the 2018-19 season the Philharmonic performed an entire season of outstanding woman composers.
In 1986 he founded the Association’s Summer Chamber Music at the Lyceum.
He retired as WMPA’s Music and Artistic Director at the end of the 2022-2023 Season.
