Elizabeth Reinhardt
Director, Elementary GT Orchestra
Elizabeth Reinhardt has been the orchestra director at Hammond High School since 2009, where she conducts the Chamber Orchestra, Concert Orchestra, and Symphony Orchestra. She also runs the rapidly growing chamber music club that fosters independent student musicians and promotes public performances throughout the community. Before becoming full-time at Hammond, Mrs. Reinhardt also taught at Patuxent Valley Middle School for 8 years. While at PVMS, her group was invited to perform for the Maryland Music Educators Association conference, where students performed a concert for teachers from all over the state.
As a clinician and judge, Mrs. Reinhardt has judged Solo and Ensemble and Orchestra Festivals around the state, as well as All-State Junior and Senior Orchestras. She has guest conducted the UMBC Symphony Orchestra and worked with multiple honor orchestras throughout Maryland and Virginia. In addition, Mrs. Reinhardt has served on the HCPSS Music Leadership Team, where she helped plan and facilitate professional development for other Howard County orchestra teachers. She currently serves as the High School Representative for the Maryland Music Educators Association.
Mrs. Reinhardt received her Bachelors Degree from University of Maryland Baltimore County, where she was the winner of the concerto competition multiple times. She received her Masters Degree in Music Education from Peabody Conservatory and is a National Board Certified Teacher. Mrs. Reinhardt maintains a private cello studio in Sykesville, MD, where she resides with her husband, Tim, who is also an orchestra teacher in Howard County, and her dogs Stella and Leo, who are aspiring singers.
Jennifer Kim
Manager, Elementary GT Orchestra
Ms. Jennifer Kim is the current orchestra director at Glenwood Middle School and Waverly Elementary School, working with over 250 students, helping them develop their musical abilities and instill a love for performing. Her active involvement in the Howard County music community includes collaborating with students in several GT/Sinfonia/Honors groups as a sectional coach. Recently, Ms. Kim performed in a side-by-side concert with the Howard County Youth Orchestra, formerly known as the High School GT Orchestra. In addition to her teaching responsibilities at school, she also manages a growing private violin/viola studio, with students who have been accepted into various honors groups throughout the state. Outside of her teaching commitments, Ms. Kim dedicates time to her own musical pursuits. She regularly performs with the York Symphony Orchestra in Central PA, where she won the position of section violist in 2018. Ms. Kim also frequently performs with the Harrisburg Symphony and Maryland Symphony Orchestras.
Ms. Kim has been a musician her whole life; at the age of four, she started piano lessons, began playing the viola at the age of eight, and started voice lessons at nine years old, and since her early years, she actively participated in various ensembles in her native New York community and beyond. Ms. Kim's academic achievements include earning a Bachelor of Music Degree in Viola Performance and Music Education, as well as a Master of Music degree in Viola Performance, both from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. During her time as a student, Ms. Kim has held several leadership roles in the Peabody Concert, Symphony, and Chamber Orchestras.
Katie Hunt
Co-Director, Elementary GT Sinfonia
Ms. Hunt is passionate about connecting with others through music and bringing orchestra into the 21st century. She taught Orchestra and General Music for four years in Baltimore County Public Schools, then taught Orchestra and General music for six years in Howard County at Thomas Viaduct Middle School from 2016-2022. Under her direction, the TVMS orchestra program grew from 50 students to 120 students despite the pandemic and earned Superior ratings at adjudications and spring competitions. She currently teaches Orchestra and General Music (as an addition to Mrs. O’Bryan’s orchestra program) at Burleigh Manor Middle School.
Ms. Hunt grew up in Howard County, Maryland and graduated from Glenelg High School. Her primary instrument is viola. She was the first recipient of the Robert Connor Memorial Arts Scholarship in Arts and Athletics. She received a full scholarship to attend Towson University and received a Bachelor of Science in Instrumental Music Education in 2012. While at TU, she received the Music Department Talent Award in Strings in Spring 2011. Ms. Hunt is working on completing her Master's of Music Education at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University.
A frequent clinician and judge, Ms. Hunt has judged Solo & Ensemble Festivals in Howard and Anne Arundel Counties and the Maryland All-State Orchestra auditions for several years. She has coached viola sectionals for groups such as the Howard County Elementary G/T Orchestra, the Howard County Middle School Honors Orchestra, and the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra. She currently teaches private violin and viola lessons out of her home in Columbia, MD.
Katie lives with her husband, Chris, and their pitbull, Lilo. Outside of teaching, she enjoys spending time with her dog, hiking, traveling, trying new food and restaurants, reading, attending live concerts by her favorite bands, reducing plastic use, binging tv shows, trivia nights, and trying new board games.
Joseph Koenig
Co-Director, Elementary GT Sinfonia
Mr. Joseph Koenig, from Catonsville, Maryland, is currently the Orchestra Director at Folly Quarter Middle School and music teacher at Glenwood Middle School. Mr. Koenig holds a B.M.E. in Instrumental Music Education and a B.M. in Double Bass Performance from the University of Maryland, where he studied under Rick Barber of the National Symphony Orchestra.
Mr. Koenig has participated as a bassist in summer programs such as the National Orchestral Institute, the National Music Festival, and the DCBass workshop, and has performed in local orchestras such as the Symphony of the Potomac, the Prince George’s Philharmonic, and the Columbia Orchestra. He also teaches private lessons for young double bassists. In addition to being a bassist, Mr. Koenig loves playing guitar and banjo. When not teaching or making music, Mr. Koenig enjoys camping, biking, and rock climbing.