Our Team

Johnathan Spence
(Founder, Co-Artistic Director)

Violinist Johnathan Spence received his Doctorate of Music in violin and viola under the study of Hagai Shaham at Stony Brook University in 2017. He is also a graduate of East Carolina University, where he studied with Ara Gregorian.

Focusing on his passion for teaching and performing chamber music, Spence returned to his home town and founded his strings academy now known as Galatea Chamber Music. Through Galatea he is mentoring musicians, creating and engaging in community enrichment programs, and bringing chamber music concerts to the east coast each season. Spence also performs as concertmaster of The New Carolina Sinfonia, participates in the Next Generation Series of the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival, and curates Galatea's summer chamber music week during which the students selected for this program receive opportunities to play side-by-side with accomplished artists. He continues to play and perform in various chamber music festivals across the country.

Spence's passions include playing chamber music, connecting with nature, health and nutrition, and spending time with his family. When he's not performing, teaching, practicing, or with his family, you can find him swimming in the ocean regardless of the time of year.

Hoorig Poochikian
(Co-Artistic Director)

Armenian- American violinist Hoorig Taline Poochikian has performed at a number of prestigious venues across North America including Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the National Arts Center in Canada. She received her doctoral degree in violin performance in May 2020 from Stony Brook University studying with Hagai Shaham. She also earned degrees from University of Maryland studying with Dr. James Stern, and the University of Ottawa studying with Yehonatan Berick. An avid chamber musician, Hoorig has collaborated with members of the Emerson String Quartet, Avalon String Quartet, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, 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. With a special passion for education, Hoorig currently teaches privately and at several music schools in the DC metro area. She also maintains an active career as a freelance chamber musician performing at various concert series around the country.

Dave Phillips
(Co-Artistic Director)

Dave Phillips currently serves as a section violist with the Greensboro Symphony, Western Piedmont Symphony and the Roanoke Symphony, and as Associate Principal Violist of the Fayetteville Symphony. He has previously held the principal chairs of the Williamport (PA) Symphony and the Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra. He has also performed with the Charlotte Ballet, Winston-Salem Symphony, Greensboro Opera, Carolina Philharmonic, the Orchestra of Northern New York and the Altoona Symphony.

As a chamber musician, Dave has performed in concerts given by A La Carte Greensboro, Eleva Chamber Players (VT), Penn’s Woods Music Festival (PA), and Loon Lake Live! (NY). He has performed as a fellow of the Garth Newel Music Center (VA) and the National Music Festival (MD), and participated in the summerQuartet workshop at NYU. He has coached chamber music at the Chapel Hill Adult Chamber Music Workshop in Chapel Hill, NC and the Harbor Front Music Festival in Port Jefferson, NY. In 2018, Dave was granted the opportunity to perform with the late Lynn Harrell at UNCG as part of his Artist Residency.

Dave earned a Bachelor of Music in Performance and Musical Studies from SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music, followed by a Master of Music and a Professional Performers Certificate from Penn State University. He completed his Doctor of Musical Arts in viola performance at The University of North Carolina Greensboro.

Dave lives in Greensboro with his wife Kate, their cats Tucker and Nico, and their dogs Petunia and Leo. He is an animal lover, budding audiophile, and former/current emo kid.

Emma Hays Johnson
(Co-Artistic Director)

A native of Central Virginia, cellist Emma Hays Johnson is a performing artist, private instructor, and co-founder of the original concert series, Empath Concerts. 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 Buble, Il Divo, and the Transiberian 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 Masters 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 likes to spend her free time outdoors rock climbing, backpacking and backcountry camping.

Nicolette Reff
(Executive Director)

Nicolette Reff is the Executive Director of Galatea Chamber Music, where she meticulously handles the 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 mother to Elliott Jay (3) and Leo Lucian (1). 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.