Our Team

Kevin Kwan Loucks is a distinguished arts executive, strategist, and entrepreneur with a track record of transforming organizations, driving institutional growth, and shaping the performing arts on a national scale. As CEO of Chamber Music America, he has redefined the organization’s role as a national leader in advocacy, grantmaking, and professional development for small ensemble music. He has held executive roles at leading institutions, including the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and the Music Academy of the West, where he helped transform the institution into a year-round incubator for the arts. A Juilliard-trained concert pianist and Co-Founder of Chamber Music | OC – hailed by the LA Times for “keeping classical music going” during the COVID-19 pandemic – he has been featured in The Economist, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. He serves as Chair of the National Advisory Council for the Fischoff National Chamber Music Association and sits on the Boards of American Composers Forum, Performing Arts Alliance, and the Fast Company Executive Board. Loucks holds degrees from The Juilliard School and Stony Brook University, an Executive MBA from Chapman University, and completed executive education at Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Driven by a love for the performing arts and a passion for expanding audiences, Jenny Ouellette has demonstrated success in the fields of strategic communications and arts administration. Before joining CMA, Jenny steered communications and PR for Spoleto Festival USA, strengthening the organization’s position locally and internationally. She has also held editorial positions for Charleston magazine and Dance Magazine, among other titles. A mother of two now based in Charleston, South Carolina, Jenny holds a BFA from The Boston Conservatory and completed National Arts Strategies and the Center for Impact Strategy at University of Pennsylvania’s executive program in arts and culture strategy.

Larry Blumenfeld has written features, essays and interview pieces for Chamber Music since 2018, and previously served as a guest editor. He has written regularly about music, books and culture for The Wall Street Journal for the past 20 years, and writes often for Daily Beast. His work during the past 25 years has appeared in The Village Voice, The New York Times, New Orleans Times Picayune, Pitchfork and Salon, among others. His reporting often focuses on connections between the arts and social justice; as a critic, he specializes in jazz and Afro-Latin music. He was the 2019 Jeanette K. Watson Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Humanities at Syracuse University, and has received the Jazz Journalists Association’s Helen Dance-Robert Palmer Award for Writing, an Open Society Institute Katrina Media Fellowship and a National Arts Journalism Fellow at Columbia University. He programs and hosts the National Jazz Museum in Harlem’s “Jazz and Social Justice” series, and has lectured and presented at Harvard University, Yale University, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Lincoln Center, among others. He curates the jazz series of Spoleto Festival USA, in Charleston, S.C. and the Deer Isle Jazz Festival in Stonington, Maine.  

Susan Dadian came to CMA in 2002 from the New Jersey Chamber Music Society, where she served as executive director. A classical guitarist, Dadian received a BFA in Music History from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and did graduate work at the Komitas Conservatory in Yerevan, Armenia.

José R. Feliciano is a versatile nonprofit professional whose experience is balanced between nonprofit administration and strategy; education; and community development. His past work includes nonprofit administration and grant-making; public policy and civic engagement work; creating people-centered and place-based approaches; and leadership development for creative professionals. He has a background in movement-based arts and music. He holds a BS ED from Central Connecticut State University and an MA from Penn State. He joined CMA in 2022.

A dedicated professional in philanthropy and the arts, Julia Filson currently serves as Director of Advancement with Chamber Music America. She helps CMA achieve their mission of sustaining and advancing the larger chamber music field by reimagining Membership and Individual Giving. Her journey in the nonprofit sector includes notable positions such as Director of Corporate Relations at Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Philanthropic Advisor at Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, Senior Community Engagement Manager at WABE (Atlanta’s local NPR station), Associate and Acting Director of Development at the Tucson Symphony, and Membership at Hawaii Public Radio.

Prior to her work in nonprofits, Julia was an acclaimed professional horn player with posts at organizations such as Hawai’i Symphony, University of Hawai’i at Manoa, and was a part-owner of Gaudete Brass who were artists in residence at Roosevelt University and recording artists with Cedille Records. Having performed new music with many CMA member ensembles, she is excited to innovate Membership and Individual Giving to better serve the field.

In her personal life, Julia volunteers for Atlanta Jewish Film Festival and is the co-chair of their Steering Committee, she is a Co-Chair for Roses for Roe and is a former Vice Chair and current advocate for American Jewish Committee. Improvising on violin is part of Julia’s musical life – she plays for synagogues with Hello, Goodbye, and Peace ensemble and is hired to play Jewish music across the city. Outside of volunteering and work, you can catch Julia hiking, trying NYT recipes, and cozying up to read a good book.

Andrew Frank is a freelance editor, journalist, and communications strategist. His work with CMA spans nearly a decade and includes more than six years as Editor of Chamber Music Magazine and two years as the organization’s Communications Director. In his current role as Managing Editor of Chamber Music, he supports the Editor and handles day-to-day production needs. When he’s not writing or editing, he moonlights as a guitarist and recording engineer.

Orchid McRae (she/her) is a percussionist and composer based in NYC. She joined CMA as its Digital Content Editor in 2018, and is closely involved with conference planning, communications, and content creation at the organization. Prior to joining the CMA team, Orchid interned for NYC record label Pi Recordings, worked for press promotion company Pusher Music Publicity, and served as an artistic personal assistant. Current musical projects include the quartet project orchiddBB and the collaborative trio Dot Iso (with Vivek Menon & Dylan DelGiudice). Orchid is a graduate of Berklee College of Music, where she studied Jazz Composition.

Erica Murase is a classical pianist, educator, and arts administrator. She has premiered various solo and chamber works. She has taught students of all ages and worked as a chamber music coach at Stony Brook University. Before joining CMA in 2022, she worked at performing arts organizations including the Baruch Performing Arts Center and New York City Ballet. She earned a DMA in Piano Performance from Stony Brook University, an MM in Piano Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, and an MA in Nonprofit Management from Baruch College.

Brenden is a media sales professional who has been assisting CMA constituents to reach broader audiences since 2002. He oversees print and digital sales for CMA’s quarterly magazine, Chamber Music, e-newsletter, Accent, and special events including CMA’s annual national conference. 

Elva Tang joined CMA as Grant Programs Administrative Assistant in 2022. A trained flutist, Elva has earned performance degrees–a BM from UC Irvine and an MM from Michigan State University–in addition to a BS in Public Health Sciences from UC Irvine. She is currently completing her Graduate Professional Diploma in Flute Performance at The Hartt School at the University of Hartford. 

Ofir Tomer is a violist, violinist, educator, and chamber music advocate. He performs as a chamber musician and soloist, and has served on the teaching faculty of Juniata College, Susquehanna University, and the Penn State School of Music. Before joining CMA in 2023, he co-founded and served as director of Harbor Front Chamber Music in Port Jefferson, NY. He earned a DMA in viola performance from Stony Brook University, an MM in viola performance from Penn State University, and a dual BA in psychology and music from Susquehanna University.

Adriana Vergara, a New York City-based singer, composer, and educator, joined CMA in 2023. As Grant Programs Associate, she helps maintain and optimize grant-making data systems, processes, and procedures while supporting strategic development priorities that ensure CMA’s continued grant-making work. Adriana’s previous professional experiences encompass operations, arts administration, and arts education. A student of Jazz and Latin American music performance, she holds a Bachelor of Music from Oberlin Conservatory and a Master of Music from New Jersey City University.