Crescendo Program Coaches
Robin Tozzie, Head Coach, graduated with her Master's in Violin Performance at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in May,2022. She received her Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance at Florida State University in May 2019. She has studied at numerous summer music festivals or institutes such as Aspen Summer Music Festival and School, Brevard Summer Music Festival, the Luby Symposium, KinHaven Young Artist Seminar, Joseph Gingold Chamber Music Festival, Mostly Modern Chamber Music Festival, and Green Mountain Music Festival. Currently she is teaching, performing, and gigging in the DMV area. She is a founding member of the Pixel String Quartet.
Gene Pohl, Coach, is an active educator, performer, and conductor. She received her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Ithaca College, and her Masters of Music degree in music performance from Boston University. She was a fellowship student at Tanglewood in 1976, and performed under Leonard Bernstein and Seiji Ozawa, among others. She retired as the orchestra director at Wakefield High School in Arlington in 2015, where she was the director since 1994. There, she conducted the Chamber Orchestra and the String Orchestra, and was also the conductor of the Arlington County, Virginia Honors Orchestra for Grades 7 and 8. Ms. Pohl has been the Assistant Director of the Arlington Youth Symphony, the Arlington County Lead Teacher for all secondary instrumental teachers, and received the Wolf Trap Foundation for Performing Arts Teachers Scholarship in 2008. Ms. Pohl was adjunct lecturer in string pedagogy at the University of Maryland, College Park from 2016-2019. As a violist, she has performed with the Washington Bach Consort, the Baltimore Opera, The National Gallery Orchestra, and the Filene Center Orchestra at Wolf Trap. Performing with various ensembles, she has played at the Kennedy Center, the Warner Theater, and Smithsonian museums. She was principal and assistant principal violist of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra for many years. She is also currently a violist in the Alexandria Symphony.
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.
Joshua Huang, Coach, the University of Rochester and Eastman School of Music, with degrees in is a violinist. He earned his Bachelors Degree through the Dual Degree Program at Biology and Violin Performance. He completed Master of Music and Advanced Music Studies degree in Violin Performance at Carnegie Mellon University. Mr. Huang joined The Air Force Strings, The United States Air Force Band in fall of 2024. He frequently plays at the White House, the Capitol, and various embassy venues performing for foreign dignitaries, members of Congress and the President of the United States. He has also held other positions including Associate Concertmaster of the Erie Philharmonic, Principal 2nd Violin of the Pittsburgh Ballet Orchestra, and Assistant Principal 2nd Violin of the Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra. He has performed with numerous groups such as the Charleston, Columbus, Canton, and New World Symphonies. He was a core violinist for Candlelight Concerts by Fever quartet concert series while he was in Pittsburgh, PA. He has performed at a variety of music festivals including the National Repertory Orchestra, where he was also featured as a vocal soloist, Schleswig–Holstein Musik Festival, and Tanglewood Music Center.
Allison Smith, Coach, received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. She joined The U.S. Army Strings in the fall of 2025 after completing one year as a violin fellow at the New World Symphony. She has served as Concertmaster of the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra and New World Symphony, as well as Principal Second at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Germany under the baton of Andris Nelsons for the inaugural Shostakovich Festival. She has also performed with the Houston, Atlanta, and Fort Worth Symphonies. Passionate about chamber music and connecting with her community, she received funding from New World Symphony to create a performance entitled Chocolate and Chamber Music, featuring works by living female composers paired with flavors of chocolate from a Miami-based chocolate shop. While studying at Rice University, she received the Sviatoslav Richter Fund Grant for Music Outreach which she used to perform concerts at Houston senior living facilities. She enjoys teaching young musicians and sharing her love of chamber music with students.
Gene Pohl, Coach, is an active educator, performer, and conductor. She received her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Ithaca College, and her Masters of Music degree in music performance from Boston University. She was a fellowship student at Tanglewood in 1976, and performed under Leonard Bernstein and Seiji Ozawa, among others. She retired as the orchestra director at Wakefield High School in Arlington in 2015, where she was the director since 1994. There, she conducted the Chamber Orchestra and the String Orchestra, and was also the conductor of the Arlington County, Virginia Honors Orchestra for Grades 7 and 8. Ms. Pohl has been the Assistant Director of the Arlington Youth Symphony, the Arlington County Lead Teacher for all secondary instrumental teachers, and received the Wolf Trap Foundation for Performing Arts Teachers Scholarship in 2008. Ms. Pohl was adjunct lecturer in string pedagogy at the University of Maryland, College Park from 2016-2019. As a violist, she has performed with the Washington Bach Consort, the Baltimore Opera, The National Gallery Orchestra, and the Filene Center Orchestra at Wolf Trap. Performing with various ensembles, she has played at the Kennedy Center, the Warner Theater, and Smithsonian museums. She was principal and assistant principal violist of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra for many years. She is also currently a violist in the Alexandria Symphony.
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.
Joshua Huang, Coach, the University of Rochester and Eastman School of Music, with degrees in is a violinist. He earned his Bachelors Degree through the Dual Degree Program at Biology and Violin Performance. He completed Master of Music and Advanced Music Studies degree in Violin Performance at Carnegie Mellon University. Mr. Huang joined The Air Force Strings, The United States Air Force Band in fall of 2024. He frequently plays at the White House, the Capitol, and various embassy venues performing for foreign dignitaries, members of Congress and the President of the United States. He has also held other positions including Associate Concertmaster of the Erie Philharmonic, Principal 2nd Violin of the Pittsburgh Ballet Orchestra, and Assistant Principal 2nd Violin of the Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra. He has performed with numerous groups such as the Charleston, Columbus, Canton, and New World Symphonies. He was a core violinist for Candlelight Concerts by Fever quartet concert series while he was in Pittsburgh, PA. He has performed at a variety of music festivals including the National Repertory Orchestra, where he was also featured as a vocal soloist, Schleswig–Holstein Musik Festival, and Tanglewood Music Center.
Allison Smith, Coach, received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. She joined The U.S. Army Strings in the fall of 2025 after completing one year as a violin fellow at the New World Symphony. She has served as Concertmaster of the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra and New World Symphony, as well as Principal Second at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Germany under the baton of Andris Nelsons for the inaugural Shostakovich Festival. She has also performed with the Houston, Atlanta, and Fort Worth Symphonies. Passionate about chamber music and connecting with her community, she received funding from New World Symphony to create a performance entitled Chocolate and Chamber Music, featuring works by living female composers paired with flavors of chocolate from a Miami-based chocolate shop. While studying at Rice University, she received the Sviatoslav Richter Fund Grant for Music Outreach which she used to perform concerts at Houston senior living facilities. She enjoys teaching young musicians and sharing her love of chamber music with students.