About the LYS staff:

Joe Holmquist, Percussion Coach, is a performer, music educator and composer living in Lincoln since 2000.  He received his Master of Music degree at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where he studied with master teacher Vic Firth, timpanist of the Boston Symphony.  As an educator, Mr. Holmquist is known most broadly for his drumset and snare drum etude books published by Neil A. Kjos Music Co., a leading company in the field.  His career as a performer has included touring across the country as well as 13 European countries.  As a free-lance player, he has worked with Minnesota Opera, Minnesota Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Dale Warland Singers, VocalEssence, the Omaha Symphony, the Kansas City Symphony, and Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra.  Playing chamber music is his favorite musical activity.

 

Clark Potter, Music Director, began teaching viola and conducting at UNL’s Glenn Korff School of Music in 1996 and, after six years conducting the Junior Youth Orchestra, started conducting the LYS in 2007. He serves as principal violist of the Lincoln Symphony, and he is an active solo recitalist and chamber musician. He is in demand as an adjudicator and clinician at schools in Nebraska and around the region, conducting HS honors orchestras in Omaha, Reno, NV, Fort Hays, Manhattan and Olathe, KS, and Yankton and Rapid City, SD, and he has conducted All-State Middle School Orchestras in Oregon, Alabama and Iowa. He was voted Outstanding String Educator for the state of Nebraska for 2008, as voted by the state chapter of the American String Teachers Association. He holds degrees from Western Washington University, Indiana University, and California Institute of the Arts. Mr. Potter is married to Jan, also a local educator, and they have two children: daughter Shannon (with her husband Phillip) lives in Lincoln; and son Samuel (with his wife, Alex) lives in Omaha. For hobbies he loves baseball and running.

 

A native of Lincoln, Sophia Potter, String Coach, began cello studies at age 10 with Carol Work. From 2000-2003, Sophia was a proud member of the LYS cello section. She holds degrees in Cello Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory, where she studied with Peter Rejto, Hans Jensen, and Amir Eldan; and UNL, where she studied with Gregory Beaver of the Chiara Quartet. Sophia has studied and performed chamber music extensively. In 2010, Sophia moved to Omaha, NE to found The Rangbrook Ensemble: a professional string chamber ensemble presenting an annual free concert series around Omaha and Lincoln. In addition, Sophia is the Director of the Chamber Music program for the Omaha Area Youth Orchestras, and currently serves as OAYO’s Interim Executive Director. Finally, she serves as the chair of the Artist Selection Committee for Lincoln Friends of Chamber Music series. An advocate for instruments made by living luthiers, Sophia plays on a 2008 William Whedbee cello. She lives in Omaha with her partner, luthier Dirk Henry, and their two high-maintenance cats, Sam and Sebastian. She is delighted to be joining the Lincoln Youth Symphony as a coach this season.

 

Terry R. Rush, Assistant Conductor and Brass Coach: prior to his retirement from Lincoln Public Schools, he was the instrumental music director at Lincoln Southwest High School for five years, which followed twenty-five years at Lincoln High. Previously, he was the Director of Bands at Pius X HS. Since retirement he has taken on various duties at Doane University. He has been a member of the Lincoln Symphony for 44 seasons and the Lincoln Municipal Band for 46 years, serving as principal trombone as well as guest soloist. Mr. Rush was appointed Assistant Director of the Lincoln Municipal Band in 2001 and the Lincoln Youth Symphony in 2002. Mr. Rush has served on the board of the NSBA. He is a past winner of the Donald A. Lenz Outstanding Nebraska Bandmaster, recipient of the John Philip Sousa Foundation National Legion of Honor Award and the Nebraska National Guard Medal of Freedom for his support to military music programs. Mr. Rush is the 2010 recipient of the Lincoln Symphony Golden Baton Award and was just awarded the 2018 John Shildneck Service Award from the Lincoln Municipal Band.

 

Alyssa Wilhelm, Woodwinds Coach, is the Director of Bands at Lincoln Southwest High School and has been teaching there since 2005.  She teaches 2 Marching Bands, 3 Concert Bands and 4 Jazz Bands.  She has been the woodwind coach with Lincoln Youth Symphony since 2011.  Alyssa earned her Bachelor’s in Music Education degree in 2005 and her Master’s in Music Education degree in 2012, both from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  She plays piccolo in Omaha Symphonic Winds and often plays with the Lincoln Municipal Band as well.  Alyssa is married to fellow band director, Jared Wilhelm (Pius X High School), and they have 3 children: Annaliese, Gabriel, and Lily.