Music Director

Teresa Metzger Howe has been the Music Director and conductor of the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra's Youth Orchestra since June 2005, after having conducted BYSO's Premiere Orchestra from 2001 to 2005.

She has also conducted the Rain City Symphony since January 2003. She is a member of the Pontiac Bay Symphony Orchestra Advisory Board. Teresa is a frequent guest conductor of operas and musicals at Shoreline Community College. She also maintains a private piano studio in her home. Teresa taught instrumental music at Lakeside Upper School from 1992 to 2001 and had an extensive career as a music director for professional theatres, both in the Puget Sound area and throughout the United States.

She received her DMA in orchestral conducting at the University of Washington in 2001, under the tutelage of Maestro Peter Eros, and also holds a B.S. in Music Theory from Manchester College and a M.M. in Piano Performance from Butler University. She lives with her husband, artist Philip Howe, in Snohomish.

Sinfonia Conductor

Joseph Kempisty, Sinfonia conductor since 1999, has conducted youth and adult orchestras in the Midwest and in Washington. He received a Bachelors of Music Education from The Ohio State University and a Masters in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Washington. Around the Northwest, Joseph has performed as principal violist or principal double bassist for several area ensembles including the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra, the Lake Union Civic Orchestra, the Emerald City Ballet Orchestra, and the Northwest Mahler Festival Orchestra.

As a clinician and guest conductor, he has worked with middle and high school musicians in regional large group festivals, small ensemble festivals, and honor orchestras. Joseph's experience also includes teaching elementary, middle, and high school orchestras in the Midwest and most recently in the Bellevue School District where he is now an assistant principal at Chinook Middle School.

Premiere Orchestra Conductor

Barney L. Blough, Conductor of the Premiere Orchestra, is currently the Music Director of the Evergreen City Ballet. Mr. Blough has also conducted musicals at Garfield High School and Roosevelt High School, and the Eastside Musical Theater. Mr. Blough was formerly Music Director of the Seattle Chamber Orchestra, Assistant Conductor of the Rainier Symphony, and Assistant Conductor of the Lake Union Civic Orchestra. While studying with Pulitzer Prize winning composer Gunther Schuller at the Festival at Sandpoint, he was invited to perform as Guest Conductor with the Spokane Symphony. Other guest conducting appearances include Orchestra Seattle, Emerald City Philharmonic, and the Garfield High School Orchestra. Mr. Blough studied conducting with Larry Gookin at Central Washington University, Director Emeritus of the Seattle Youth Symphony Vilem Sokol, and Stewart Kershaw, Principal Conductor of the Pacific Northwest Ballet.

Mr. Blough plays with the Federal Way Symphony, Orchestra Seattle, and Bellevue Opera. He has performed with the Bellevue Philharmonic, Tacoma Symphony, Northwest Mahler Festival Orchestra, Philharmonia Northwest, Everett Symphony, Northwest Symphony, Yakima Symphony, Wenatchee Symphony, Richland Symphony, and the Lake Chelan Bach Festival. Civic Orchestra.

Mr. Blough received his B.A. in Music Performance from Central Washington University, his Teaching Certificate from Seattle Pacific University, and his Professional Certificate from Pacific Lutheran University. He is currently directs the orchestras at Odle Middle School and Bellevue High School.

Debut String Orchestras Conductor

Valerie Doerrfeld has been performing and teaching in the Seattle area since 1993, where she currently is a member of the Northwest Sinfonietta.  She has been a string coach for BYSO for several years and has taught music in the Issaquah School District and at the Arbor School in Issaquah. 

Her freelance work includes performances with the Seattle String Quartet and the Allegria Trio, Village and 5th Avenue Theaters.  She received her BM at the Eastman School of Music and MM at Akron University in Music Performance. She is married, has two children, and lives in Issaquah.

Flute Orchestra Director

Sandra Saathoff is the piccoloist with the Seattle Philharmonic and is adjunct professor of flute at Seattle Pacific University. She has developed a thriving private flute studio, performed with the Bellevue Philharmonic, LUCO, other area chamber ensembles, and is a sought after clinician. She has served the Seattle Flute Society as vice president/programming chair; newsletter editor and is the current president. She graduated cum laude from Pacific Lutheran University, and received a Master of Arts in Music Education degree from the Univ. of Washington.  She has served on the board of trustees for the Seattle Philharmonic, receiving their Esther Tye Smith Award for Outstanding Service & Dedication for efforts in publicity and as media liaison. As a former instrumental music instructor for the Bellevue & Central Kitsap School Districts, Sandra was the recipient of the Linder Foundation Award for Innovative Curriculum and Instruction.  She has recently been appointed executive director of Flutewise USA. Her teachers include Zart Dombourian-Eby, Rae Terpenning, and Kim Pineda (baroque flute). She was a member of the Olympic Youth Symphony (BYSO former name) in high school, and now lives with her 2 sons, 2 dogs and husband in Sammamish.