Leading with Integrity.
​Creating Purpose from​ Passion.
Inspiring from Within.

Dr. Hoorig Poochikian
Hoorig Poochikian

Armenian-American violinist Hoorig Taline Poochikian has captivated audiences across North America, performing at iconic venues such as Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Canada's National Arts Center. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in violin performance from Stony Brook University, where she studied with Hagai Shaham. She also earned degrees from the University of Maryland under Dr. James Stern, and from the University of Ottawa, where she studied with Yehonatan Berick. An avid chamber musician, Hoorig has shared the stage with members of renowned ensembles such as the Emerson String Quartet, Avalon String Quartet, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, as well as collaborating with acclaimed artists like pianist Christina Dahl and composer Vache Sharafyan. She made her live radio broadcast debut on Classical KING FM in Seattle, performing with pianist Oksana Ejokina. Hoorig regularly performs with the Washington Musica Viva series in the DC area, as well as the Galatea Chamber Music Series, of which she is a co-artistic director. Passionate about education, Hoorig maintains a vibrant private teaching studio in the DC metro area, inspiring the next generation of violinists and chamber musicians.

Dr. Johnathan Spence
Johnathan Spence

Violinist Johnathan Spence, founder of Galatea Chamber Music and member of the Acis String Quartet, holds a Doctorate in Violin Performance from Stony Brook University, where he studied under Hagai Shaham and participated in the quartet intensive program with the Emerson String Quartet. He is also a graduate of East Carolina University, where he studied with Ara Gregorian and was involved in the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival. In 2017, Johnathan moved back to his hometown and created his own studio, The Spence Academy for Strings, offering private lessons and studio classes alongside outreach initiatives and a chamber concert series—this turned into what is now Galatea Chamber Music. A dedicated teacher, Johnathan offers private lessons in the Virginia Beach and Chesapeake areas. Through Galatea’s free concert series and outreach programs along the East Coast, he brings the inspiration of chamber music to diverse audiences. Beyond the concert stage, Johnathan embraces the beauty of the Virginia Beach coast, often found swimming in the ocean year-round, drawing inspiration from the rhythm and tranquility of the sea.

Dr. Dave Phillips
Dave Phillips

Originally from upstate New York, violist Dave Phillips plays in the viola sections of the Greensboro
Symphony Orchestra, Western Piedmont Symphony Orchestra, Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, and
as Associate Principal Violist of the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra. Before moving to North
Carolina, he held the principal chairs of the Williamport (PA) Symphony Orchestra and the
Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra. As a chamber musician, Dave has performed locally with A la Carte Greensboro, Catchfire Collective, and the Faculty Artist Recital Series at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He has coached chamber music at the Adult Chamber Music Workshop at UNC Chapel Hill and the Harbor Front Music Festival in Port Jefferson, NY. Dave has taught music theory and viola at UNCG and music theory at Elon University. Every day, he is thankful to his past viola teachers Scott Rawls, Tim Deighton, and Shelly Tramposh as he maintains his own private teaching studio of violinists and violists. Dave holds degrees and certificates in viola performance and music theory from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Penn State University, and SUNY Potsdam. He lives in Greensboro with his wife, Kate, their cats, Tucker and Nico, and their dogs, Petunia and Leo. When not playing chamber music, Dave performs as the vocalist for the Greensboro-based screamo band, ythgrp.

Emma Hays Johnson
Emma Hays Johnson

A native of Central Virginia, cellist Emma Hays Johnson is a performing artist, private instructor, co-founder of Empath Concerts, and a co-artistic director of the Acis String Quartet with Galatea Chamber Music. Currently residing near the D.C. and Baltimore areas, she performs chamber concerts regularly with Washington Musica Viva and has worked alongside artists such as two-time Grammy-winning violinist from the Attacca Quartet, Domenic Salerni, as well as Michael Bublé, Il Divo, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. During her Quartet Fellowship at UMass Amherst, she had the opportunity to be coached by members of world-renowned ensembles including the Ying Quartet, the Dover Quartet, and the Juilliard Quartet. Through her invitations to be a Next Generation Alumni Artist at East Carolina University, she has worked alongside Xiao-Dong Wang, Hye-Jin Kim, Ara Gregorian, Colin Carr, Emanuel Gruber, and Raman Ramakrishnan. She has been a member and sub of several notable orchestras including the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Apollo Orchestra, and the American Festival Pops Orchestra. Prior to receiving her second Master’s in Music Performance at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst under the tutelage of Edward Arron, she held the position of adjunct professor at Beaufort County Community College in North Carolina. Emma Hays studied at Converse College and George Mason University under the tutelage of Kenneth Law where she received her Bachelor's Degree, and she graduated with her first Master’s Degree from East Carolina University under the instruction of Emanuel Gruber. Emma Hays is dedicated to sharing her love of chamber music with audiences and students and believes these opportunities should be accessible to everyone, which is why she passionately supports the work of Galatea Chamber Music. In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing, backpacking, camping, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Our Board of Directors

Patricia Johnson
Patricia Johnson
President
Elizabeth Spencer
Elizabeth Spencer
Secretary
Roubina Poochikian
Roubina Poochikian
Treasurer
Yashar Basseri
Yashar Basseri
Vice President
Jeffrey Phelps
Jeffrey Phelps
Development Director

Our Executive Director

Nicolette Reff
Nicolette Reff

Nicolette Reff is the Executive Director of Galatea Chamber Music, where she meticulously handles the graphic design and administrative tasks that contribute to the success of the organization. In her early adulthood, Nicolette embarked on a solo backpacking journey through Europe, immersing herself in diverse cultures and cultivating a profound appreciation for various forms of art, including music. Outside of her professional role, Nicolette is deeply engaged with her family life, being a devoted homeschooling mother to Elliott Jay (4) and Leo Lucian (2). Her passions extend to cooking, baking, painting, writing, and studying Human Design. At Galatea Chamber Music concerts, Nicolette is often the welcoming face at the door, ready to greet attendees and share her enthusiasm for the arts.

Our Founder

Johnathan Spence
A 10 year old scholarship student playing the violin and smilingJohnathan Spence on graduation day with his mother, Linda Spence Christman

“When I was 10 years old, right after my father passed, I found his violin under his bed. The feeling I experienced can be described only as a divine calling. From then on, I knew that the only path to walk is the one where I have a violin in my hands. My mother, Linda, a widow and mother to five children, didn’t let our family's financial struggles inhibit my chance at becoming the musician she knew I could be. Between the help of my mother, the church, and the community, I was gifted violin lessons through scholarships that allowed me to develop the skills needed to go all the way to attending university. Through this process, I gained lifelong mentors who introduced me to what chamber music truly is, which ignited my vision for creating Galatea Chamber Music.

After moving back to Virginia Beach in 2017, I experienced the vicissitudes of life that created pillars of integrity and purpose. Setting intention through every piece, every program created, every person I come in contact with, and every note that I play, I strive to become the best version of myself and share it with the world around me. As composer George Frideric Handel once said, “I should be sorry if I only entertained them. I wish to make them better.” My true passion is chamber music as well as serving my community and I am always finding ways to intertwine the two.”

Guest Chamber Musicians

Santiago Vazquez-loredo
Santiago Vazquez-loredo
Florrie Marshall
Florrie Marshall
Jason Mooney
Jason Mooney
Ava Figliuzzi
Ava Figliuzzi
Alex Wu
Alex Wu
Oswald Backus
Oswald Backus
Ivan Mendoza
Ivan Mendoza
Jeffrey Phelps
JEFF PHELPS

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