Our Team
MEET OUR FOUNDERSNatalia Kazaryan and Christopher Schmitt first met as teenagers in New York City, and went on to pursue their Bachelors and Masters degrees at The Juilliard School. They have performed extensively in their own solo careers and both pianists embody a passion for education; Christopher holds a doctorate from Juilliard, and Natalia holds a doctorate from the University of Michigan, furthering their dream of sharing this love of music with others; the primary mission of the Washington Arts Ensemble.
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Natalia Kazaryan
COFOUNDER, PIANIST
Dedicated to giving equal platform to female composers in her public appearances, she notably curated and performed a recital of all women composers at the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., a performance The Washington Post named “one of the best classical concerts of the summer 2019.”
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Christopher Schmitt
COFOUNDER, PIANIST
Described as "carefully colored" and "sensitive" by The Washington Post, Christopher Schmitt was also hailed as a “formidable talent” and “mature beyond his years” by The Santa Barbara News-Press, regarding his performance of Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1.
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McLane O'Daniell
DESIGN & MARKETING LEAD
Herself a lover of all things music, McLane is an integral part in creating and maintaining the brand identity for the Washington Arts Ensemble. Through her combined passion for art direction and marketing strategy, McLane leads the organization’s marketing efforts by prioritizing our mission of fostering an accessible classical music community.
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Adam Green
LEAD VIDEOGRAPHER & MARKETING STRATEGIST
Adam is a versatile videographer and business owner, who frequently collaborates with both local and national production companies, marketing agencies, and business’ of all sizes. Within our organization, Adam implements his experience overseeing production, editing, and distribution of multimedia content to bolster video and marcomm efforts for the Washington Arts Ensemble in tandem with McLane and our cofounders.
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Dillon James DeBourg
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Dillon, a second-year undergraduate at Howard University, is majoring in music business with a minor in piano performance under Natalia Kazaryan's guidance. Hailing from Freeport High School in Long Island, New York, Dillon was actively engaged in a diverse range of music activities. Currently, he manages both administrative and creative responsibilities behind the scenes.