Staff and Board

Administrative Staff

Elizabeth Kilpatrick, Executive Director

Elizabeth Kilpatrick was named the new Executive Director of Music Orchard Richmond (MOR) in April of 2023. She brings a passion for inclusive music education and the opportunity to share the joy and benefits of music with the communities of Richmond and beyond.

As a young child, Elizabeth experienced the positive impact of music education and outreach on a personal level. Growing up as the fourth of seven children on a farm in rural Upstate NY, options for music education were limited and physically far away, and financially out of reach. If not for scholarship funds, work studies, and generous teachers, she would not have had the opportunity to discover the rich benefits of music lessons, much less pursue working as a musician for a career.

In addition to her work with MOR, Elizabeth works as a freelance violinist and private lesson teacher in the Richmond area. You can often see her perform with the Richmond Symphony or Candlelight Concerts.

In her spare time, she can be found in her backyard garden, out on a hike with her dog Butter, or reading a book.

Board of Directors

  • Ellen Cockerham Riccio has served as Principal Second Violinist of the Richmond Symphony since 2009. She won the job while completing her Master’s degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she also received her Bachelor’s degree, as a student of William Preucil. Prior to moving to Richmond, Ellen served as Principal Second Violinist of the Canton Symphony and was a member of the Akron Symphony.

    Ellen is the founder of Classical Revolution RVA, the Richmond chapter of a worldwide movement to bring live classical music into non-traditional venues, and served as the organization's Executive Director from 2012 to 2018. In April of 2020, Ellen began giving private solo violin concerts as A Violinist in Your Backyard, as a way of bringing live music to people during a time of isolation, uncertainty, and digital overload. During the summer of 2020, she gave more than 150 such concerts throughout the Richmond area.

    Along with the other members of Rosette, a string quartet, Ellen founded a concert series in 2021 called So Hot Right Now which brings the music of living composers to Richmond audiences multiple times in various venues throughout the course of one month. Learn more at sohotrva.com.

  • Christina Sienkiewicz, a National Board Certified Teacher, is the Orchestra Director at the Specialty Center for the Arts at Thomas Dale High School in Chester, VA. She received both her Bachelor of Music in Music Education (2008) and Masters of Music (2012) from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

    Christina has experience teaching all levels from Elementary Strings to college courses at UNC Charlotte. She has a passion for inclusion in music education, believing all students should have equal access to quality string education opportunities. She served as the managing director for Music Orchard from 2019-2023 and now serves on the board as secretary/treasurer.

    Also an avid performer, Christina plays viola with the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, RVA Strings, and Classical Revolution RVA. On her off time Christina enjoys working in her garden, reading, hanging out with her family, chickens, and scruffy rescue dog.

  • Amy Pintea is a CPA with Brown Edwards, CPAs, specializing in estate, trust and partnership taxation. Amy is also a professional flutist and formerly worked for the Richmond Symphony education department heading up the Musical Ambassadors Program. She has a bachelor's and master’s degree in flute performance from Indiana University and The University of Texas at Austin, as well as an associate’s degree in accounting from Brightpoint Community College.

    In addition to working for the RSO, she maintained a private teaching studio in both Austin, TX, and Richmond, VA. She continues to be passionate about music education and is thrilled to be able to bring knowledge and experience in both music and finance to the Richmond community. When not preparing tax returns or playing her flute, she can often be found reading at a coffee shop or at the park with her husband, Adrian and dog, Niles.

  • Lindsey L. Evans, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of public administration and policy at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. Before this role, she was an assistant professor of urban and public affairs at the University of Louisville. Before entering academia, Dr. Evans was a senior research associate on a project funded by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. This project focused on analyzing the practices of African American-led nonprofit organizations to improve the life outcomes of at-risk youths. Additionally, she served as a consulting research assistant with the MDRC Achieving the Dream Initiative, contributing to large-scale program evaluations.

    Dr. Evans' research centers on public and nonprofit policy analysis and program evaluation, focusing on social equity. Her work spans various initiatives to promote social equity and address disparities in both the public and nonprofit sectors. Recent projects include research, evaluation, and design contributions to the Commonwealth of Virginia's vaccination efforts. Currently, she is exploring social equity, diversity, and inclusion within nonprofit organizations.

Advisory Board

Dr. Quinton Morris, Founder, and Director - Key to Change Studio

Joshua Hahn, Associate Director of Research Development at Virginia Commonwealth University

Elizabeth King, Seneca House Advisors