Bios

Jessica McKee is an active collaborator throughout the D.C. metropolitan area. Passionate about chamber music, she is a founding member of the Iris Piano Trio, an outreach-based chamber group that began at Charles E. Smith Life Communities in Rockville, MD. She has held adjunct teaching positions at various local institutions including Montgomery Community College, The University of Maryland and Washington Adventist University. She is currently Staff Collaborative pianist at The University of Maryland, performing for recitals throughout the academic year. Outside the university, she is an extremely active performer, frequently collaborating with both students and professionals in recordings, recitals and chamber music concerts in the D.C. area as well as throughout the United States. Her playing can be heard on professional recordings Consonant Connections and A Winters Night.

McKee holds both her Masters and Doctoral of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Maryland where she studied with Rita Sloan and worked closely with the Maryland Opera Studio as well as the brass, string and wind faculties. McKee also attended the University of Michigan where she studied piano with Logan Skelton and Douglas Humphreys and played violin in the Philharmonic Orchestra.

McKee maintains a small private teaching studio at her home in Maryland where she lives with her husband, her two young daughters, her cat and her dog.

A native of South Carolina, Dr. Zoe Kushubar has developed a versatile career in the DMV since moving to the area in 2022. From playing Cuban charanga, Americana, and R&B to researching Eastern European folk traditions, Zoe is passionate about studying different musical styles to forge deeper connections with her students, colleagues, and listeners. In addition to joining Annapolis Symphony Orchestra last year, she is also establishing herself in the fields of historical performance and chamber music. She regularly plays with the Smithsonian Academy Orchestra and has performed as a Fellow at the Smithsonian Haydn Quartet Academy and Carmel Bach Festival. She has most recently collaborated with ensembles including the Washington Commanders Marching Band, the Handel Choir of Baltimore, Three Notch’d Road, INSeries, District Strings, and the Live Wire String Quartet. In addition to performing, Zoe is also an active  teacher; she is on the string faculty at Opal Music Studio and International School of Music. 

Zoe is currently based in Rockville where she lives with her husband and two cats, Oscar and Oliver. She just graduated with her Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Maryland, where she studied with David Salness. Other mentors include Shannon Thomas, Courtney LeBauer, Sarah Johnson, Jennifer John, Lyn Acosta, and Ying Fu. 

Daniel Shomper is an active performer, chamber musician and teacher. The Baltimore Sun has praised his ‘virtuoso playing’ and complimented his ‘masterful performance’ and ‘lyrical expression.’ He has performed at venues such as the Kennedy Center, the National Art Gallery, and the Washington Arts Club, among others. Additionally, he has performed concerts and in prestigious music festivals in the United States and abroad, including venues in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Prague, Budapest, Helsinki, Quebec, Seseña Nuevo, Avila and Madrid.

Dr. Shomper is the founder and director of the Annapolis Cellovision Workshop, an organization that combines under one umbrella all of Dr. Shomper’s passions - performance, education, and creating community-based collaborations.

ACW began with the Annapolis Cello Festival, which includes a workshop for adult amateur cellists followed by a week long institute for young cellists ages 10 - 18, and faculty performances! It takes place at the beginning of August. ACW has expanded to include a chamber music institute for all classical instruments for young musicians ages 10 - 18 at the end of June, and an All-State preparatory workshop in September, and more exciting educational opportunities are planned for the future!

Dr. Shomper is also the founder and director of the Annapolis Cello Choir, an all ages, all abilities, all cello ensemble.

ACW also features a concert series which celebrates local artists, interesting collaborations and unique programs. As a passionate advocate for new, modern, and underperformed works Dr. Shomper created New Music Maryland, which has commissioned and premiered several works by local composers since its origin in 2018.

Dr. Shomper is passionate teacher. He is on faculty at the Annapolis Symphony Academy, the Riverhawk Summer Institute, the Annapolis Cello Festival, maintains a robust private studio, offers group classes through ACW and is on faculty at Anne Arundel Community College. He is a member of the Annapolis Symphony, performs regularly with the Charleston Symphony and many other orchestras in DC, Baltimore, and Pennsylvania.

Dr. Shomper received his DMA from the University of Maryland where he studied with David Hardy, Peter Wiley and the Guarneri Quartet, Kenneth Slowik and Evelyn Elsing.