Meet the Team

A woman with two young girls in white blouses and long black skirts standing inside a church, smiling at the camera. The church has a large cross and gold decorative panels in the background.

Dr. Ingrid Lestrud

Founder and Artistic Director

Dr. Ingrid Lestrud is a conductor and educator whose passion for music and singing began in early childhood. After studying vocal performance as an undergraduate, she pursued graduate work in conducting and earned her Doctor of Music degree from Northwestern University. She subsequently sang with the Chicago Symphony Chorus under Riccardo Muti for several seasons, performing in their Grammy-winning recording of Verdi's Requiem.

Dr. Lestrud served as Voice Department Chair at the Merit School of Music in Chicago, a community music school serving over 6,000 students with a focus on underserved communities. In this role, she collaborated with the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Renée Fleming to develop curriculum for the Solo Voice Program, and her choir performed with Ms. Fleming at special events.

She has taught on the faculties of several colleges and in 2022 won the Mid-Atlantic Teaching Artists Innovate + Create contest for Performers With Purpose, a youth ensemble she founded that combines choral music with community service projects. As a former Principal Associate Conductor of the Grammy-winning National Children's Chorus, she prepared young singers for performances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the Kennedy Center.

Dr. Lestrud founded Vivace Children's Chorus to provide exceptional choral music education to young singers in eastern Montgomery County. She has been invited to conduct a world premiere at Carnegie Hall in 2027 and looks forward to offering Vivace students the opportunity to perform at this prestigious venue.

Young woman with long brown hair smiling while sitting at a piano with the lid open, in a room with gray walls and a window with curtains.

Hanako Duffie

Pianist

Hanako Duffie is a collaborative pianist based in Washington D.C., and has extensive experience performing with instrumentalists and vocalists in a variety of genres and styles. Originally from Southern California, she has played with leading professional choirs such as the Choral Arts Initiative, the Voices of Terpsichor, and the Temecula Valley Master Chorale. Hanako has worked on staff as a collaborative pianist for the University of Redlands Conservatory of Music, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in collaborative piano at the University of Maryland. Hanako has attended music festivals where she has studied with renowned pianists such as Martin Katz, Howard Watkins, Warren Jones, Ana Maria Otamendi, Elena Lacheva, Alexandra Nguyen, and Kathy Kelly. Hanako has worked closely with conductors such as Jenny Wong, Jason Max Ferdinand, Christopher Gabbitas, and Donald Brinegar.