Crescendo Program Coaches

Head Coaches
Patrick Lin, violin, began studying violin at the age of 7. He continued his studies at The Florida State University (Bachelor of Music 2015) with Dr. Benjamin Sung and the Cleveland Institute of Music (Master of Music 2018) with William Preucil. Patrick joined The U.S. Army Strings in February of 2019. Previously, he lived in Honolulu, HI, where he was a member of the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra and performed with Hawai'i Opera Theatre and Ballet Hawai'i. Patrick has also performed with the Baltimore Symphony, Charleston Symphony, and Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestras and has attended festivals around the country, including the Britt Music and Arts Festival (OR), Lexington Bach Festival (MI), National Repertory Orchestra (CO), and Spoleto Festival USA (SC).

Erica Schwartz, violist, holds a B.M. from the New England Conservatory, B.A. in Political Science from Tufts University, and a Master of Music from Rice University. An active orchestral musician, she has appeared as a substitute violist with the Houston Symphony, and was the winner of a contract with the Des Moines Metro Opera Orchestra prior to joining "Pershing’s Own". Career highlights include performances of the solo viola role in Strauss’s Don Quixote at Rice University, and participation in the New York Philharmonic Global Academy Program, which allowed her to perform as a substitute with the New York Philharmonic. Schwartz has appeared at festivals such as the Pacific Music Festival, Tanglewood Music Center, Kneisel Hall, Bowdoin and the Banff Centre Chamber Music Residency. In addition to performing, Schwartz has held several administrative positions, including internships with the early music ensemble Handel and Haydn Society and at the Massachusetts State House. She also served as the viola coach for Tufts Youth Philharmonic and now maintains a private studio. Her primary teachers include Roger Tapping, Dimitri Murrath, Ivo-Jan Van der Werff and Joan DerHovsepian. In her free time, Schwartz enjoys hiking, reading, photography, and cooking with friends.

COACHES

Gene Pohl, now retired, was the orchestra director at Gunston Middle School and Wakefield High School for 18 years. She is a graduate of the Ithaca College School of Music, with a degree in Music Education.
Ms. Pohl also holds a Masters of Music degree from Boston University, where she majored in viola performance. Upon graduation, she was a fellow at the Tanglewood Summer Music Festival, and played under several famous conductors. Ms. Pohl taught in other schools in Arlington, as well as in Fairfax County, and was lead secondary teacher for instrumental music in Arlington and conductor of the Arlington County Honors Orchestra. For several years she also taught a large private studio. A professional violist, Ms. Pohl is currently the Associate Principal Violist of the Fairfax Symphony. She also plays with the Alexandria Symphony. She has played in performances with the Baltimore Opera, the National Gallery Orchestra and the Filene Center Orchestra at Wolftrap.
Ms. Pohl has been the lead secondary teacher for instrumental music in Arlington. This year she will be conducting the Arlington County Honors Orchestra.

Tim Thulson, Coach, is a cellist from Denver, CO and Alexandria, VA, performing frequently in solo, chamber, and orchestral contexts both at home and abroad--from the Kennedy Center’s stages to Japan, England, Germany, and the Middle East. Solo work includes premieres of Armando Bayolo’s “Buen Viaje” for unaccompanied cello and Nicholas White’s “In Lege Domini.” Mr. Thulson serves as principal cello for the unconducted Ars Nova Chamber Orchestra, presenting both full orchestral programs and a wide variety of small-ensemble chamber works. Mr. Thulson also served as the cellist for DC’s contemporary classical-focused Great Noise Ensemble. Other DC- and Baltimore-area performances include appearances with several local chamber ensembles and in a variety of sacred music concerts, from DC's Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle to Alexandria's historic Old Presbyterian Meeting House. Mr. Thulson has appeared behind artists including Stevie Wonder, Tye Tribbett, Michael W. Smith, and Keith and Kristyn Getty. Mr. Thulson has held board seats for the Ars Nova Chamber Orchestra and the Arlington Philharmonic, and he maintains a private teaching studio in Alexandria. Mr. Thulson holds degrees from the George Mason University School of Law and from Wheaton College, where he studied with Dr. Daniel Davies.

Ariana Nelson, Coach, is the cellist of the Carpe Diem String Quartet, and plays in the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra. She frequently performs with other ensembles in the Houston area, including the Houston Symphony, Houston Ballet, and Texas New Music Ensemble. Ms. Nelson has taught and coached as an adjunct faculty member at Texas Southern University, and at AFA’s Chamber Music Academy. She is an avid proponent of new music and loves experimenting with different styles, including improvisation and folk music, leading her to co-found the Pacific Crest Trio in 2020. Her eclectic tastes have also led her to appearances at Jazz at Lincoln Center, performances for patients recovering in Mount Sinai Hospital’s transplant ward, and a performance with the Silk Road Ensemble at Tanglewood. In 2015 Ms. Nelson was invited to perform in a small chamber orchestra to accompany Yo-Yo Ma at the Kennedy Center as part of the Kennedy Center Honors event. Ms. Nelson has received many honors as a soloist, most recently winning third prize at the 2016 Eisemann Young Artists Competition in Dallas, Texas. She received her Master of Music degree at the Juilliard School in May of 2017 and completed her Bachelor of Music degree at Rice University’s Shephard School of Music.