Musicopia Staff
Catherine Charlton
Executive Director
Catherine served as Musicopia’s and Dancing Classrooms Philly’s Grants & Corporate Development Director from 2017-2020. Prior to that, she served as Assistant Vice President in Market Research and technology management for a global credit card company. Catherine has a B.S. in Engineering with Distinction and a minor in Music from Cornell University and holds an Executive Certificate in Financial Success for NonProfits from Cornell University.
Alecia Burke
Director of Grants & Research
Alecia first experienced the power of Musicopia, and the welcoming dedicated faculty and staff, as a Musicopia String Orchestra parent. Meeting her children’s music teacher, who happens to be one of the incomparable MSO Teaching Artists, has forever shaped her family’s extracurricular focus and her professional passion.
Christina Chen
Program Coordinator
Caitlyn Coleman
Director of Community Engagement & Public Relations
Caitlyn started working with Musicopia in August 2016 after earning a M.A in Professional and Business Communication from La Salle University. Caitlyn also completed her undergraduate studies at La Salle, focusing her education on both communication and the study of music. During this time, she successfully completed an internship with 93.3 WMMR and later accepted a part-time position with their Promotions Department.
Ken Eidinger
Gift of Music Program Liaison & Van Driver
Check back later to learn more about Ken!
Nicholas James
Director of Communications, Strategy, & People
With extensive experience as a writer, educator, school leader, and DEI practitioner, Nic brings expertise in cultural identity literacy, data assessment, strategic planning, written content and curriculum development, and project management services.
Director of the Musicopia Drumlines
Nicole Pratt
Social Media Content Curator
Nicole has a bachelor's degree in Music Industry Studies and Arts Administration from Albright College. Her experiences include working for an independent record label in marketing and promotions and for a non-profit arts organization assisting in membership efforts and social media management. Joining Musicopia in 2022, Nicole is excited to be part of an organization that values the importance of sharing and experiencing music with others.
Taia Harlos
Artistic Director & Conductor, Musicopia String Orchestra
Taia Harlos received her Bachelor’s of Music in Performance, Bachelor’s of Music in Education, and Master’s in Teaching from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Greg Fulkerson. Taia has taught at Germantown Friends School for 17 years and served as Chair of the Music Department for ten years.
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Nathan Rifenburg
Program Director
Nathan Rifenburg has a robust record in music education both as a classroom teacher in Florida and Washington DC and also as a teaching artist with LA Opera (2011-2015). As a performer, he has sung in many regional choirs and has been a part of regional repertory theater and community theater, serving both as a performer and musical director.
Alexa Golieb
Brand Storyteller
Alexa is an arts administration professional experienced in fundraising and communications. She holds a B.A. in Theatre Studies and a Certificate in Entrepreneurship from Montclair State University in New Jersey. She firmly believes that her experiences in the performing arts growing up helped her find her voice as a storyteller. She is dedicated to serving the Philadelphia community and making arts education accessible to all youth.
Leslie Malmed Macedo
Senior Director of Programming
Leslie Malmed Macedo is a seasoned arts administrator with a focus on traditional and classical music and dance. She has served on the staffs of the World Music Institute (1999-2008), Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana (2008-2011), Dance Theatre Etcetera (2011-2014) and the Philadelphia Folklore Project (2014-2016). In 2001, Leslie co-founded Mamadêlê Productions, a company that arranges performances and educational programs that present the music, dance and martial arts of Bahia, Brazil.
Leslie Malmed Macedo is a seasoned arts administrator with a focus on traditional and classical music and dance. She has served on the staffs of the World Music Institute (1999-2008), Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana (2008-2011), Dance Theatre Etcetera (2011-2014) and the Philadelphia Folklore Project (2014-2016). In 2001, Leslie co-founded Mamadêlê Productions, a company that arranges performances and educational programs that present the music, dance and martial arts of Bahia, Brazil.
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Rasaq Lawal
Director of Student Development & Family Engagement
Rasaq Lawal is a NASM certified group fitness instructor, director, producer, and choreographer, who has performed on leading platforms such as So You Think You Can Dance Season Six ( Celebrity Judge Round). He has also shared the stage with Academy Award Winning group “Three 6 Mafia” and Grammy Award Winner Wizkid. He was Semi- Finalist in the American College Dance Associate, an inductee of Nu Delta Alpha Dance Honor and Houston RAW Artist Nominee.
Dionne Long
Senior Director of Finance
Dionne Long is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Over the past ten years, Dionne has worked as an accounting professional in both Pennsylvania and California. She has provided services to small businesses, tax-exempt organizations including Charter Schools and Universities...
Christina first joined our partner organization, Dancing Classrooms Philly (DCP), in the spring of 2021 as a K-Pop Teaching Artist, later becoming a Ballroom Teaching Artist and DCP and Musicopia’s Program Coordinator in 2022.