Leah Thomason has been playing the flute for 44 years and has been teaching private lessons for 36 years. She began playing the flute at age 11 in Kaysville Utah. She went to Davis High School in Kaysville and was a three time member of the Utah All State Band and was first chair in the band her senior year. She was also a member of the Lagoon Amusement Park All Star High School Show Band.

After high school she studied flute performance at University of Texas at San Antonio, Saint Mary's University and University of Utah, where she was principal flutist in the Wind Ensemble, Honors Woodwind Quintet and Orchestra.

She was a member of the Utah Army National Guard Band and then went on to play in The United States Air Force Band at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. After leaving the military, she continued to play in community groups including Salt Lake Symphonic Winds, Davis County Orchestra and the Milam County Community Band.

Mrs. Thomason studied with Rita Linard, Arthur Ephross, Eric Kuntz, Jane (Morrison) Lyman, Lee Hanson Yorganson and Keith Brimhall. She was also a participant in a Julius Baker Masterclass in Carmel, California.

She currently lives with her husband of 30 years, Lee “Sparky” Thomason, in Rockdale, Texas and has 4 grown(ish) children.

Fun Facts:

1. I have 5 dogs.

2. I got an accordion for my birthday this year and am learning how to play it!

3. I know how to replace a carburetor on a car.

Bobby Harris is a sought after freelance oboist based in the Austin area in Texas. He has spent time performing with the Mid-Texas Symphony Orchestra, and the Central Texas Philharmonic. Apart from orchestral activities, he regularly performs recitals with a large variety of solo and chamber works. Outside of Austin, Bobby has played principal oboe with Lux Solaris Philharmonia in El Paso, Texas, and the Las Cruces Chamber Ballet in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Bobby's summer activities include attendance at the Rocky Ridge Summer Music Institute outside of Estes Park, Colorado. Here he studied with Peter Cooper and Jason Lichtenwalter, two oboists in the Colorado Symphony. In 2024, he was invited as a winner of the Young Artists program at the Victoria Bach Summer Music Festival in Victoria, Texas. In 2025, he was granted a fellowship to be in the Miami Music Festival orchestra. In addition, he has spent other summers in Twin Lake, Michigan where he has performed live on the radio a number of times. Here, he also played in various chamber groups, and served as a teacher and staff member. 

Bobby currently studies oboe at the Texas State University School of Music under Dr. Ian Davidson. Masterclasses at Texas State include John Dee, Andrea Ridilla, Johanna Cox Pennington, Mark Ackerman, Stephen Caplan, and Jared Hauser, and Adam Shapiro.

Riley Litts is a freelance bassoon player and teacher in the Austin Area. She received her bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas and her master’s degree from The Glenn Gould School. Her primary teachers include Kristin Wolfe Jensen and Glenn Einschlag. 

Sarah Elisabeth McMillian is an Austin-based clarinetist and teacher. She began her musical studies at the age of 9, and has been playing the clarinet for over 15 years. Ms. McMillian attended the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, a prestigious residential high school with pre-professional training in the arts. She received her Bachelor of Music Performance degree from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in 2020, where she studied under James Campbell and Luis Rossi. While she was there, she performed in many ensembles and held the principal clarinet position in the Concert Band. She continued her studies at the University of South Carolina, earning her Masters in Performance in 2022 under Joseph Eller. There, she held principal positions with the USC Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra.

Ms. McMillian has been invited to perform with many groups throughout the United States, including the Aiken Symphony Orchestra, Southern Indiana Wind Ensemble, and the Atlanta Pops Orchestra. Most recently, she has accepted an invitation for Atelier’s Artist in Residency Program, located in Dangeau France in the Spring of 2025.

Apart from the clarinet, Ms. McMillian stays immersed in the arts through field recording, ambient music production, and film photography.

Ryan Hill is a saxophonist based in the Austin area. Having moved to Texas from New Jersey in 2005, Ryan

had the opportunity to start playing the saxophone in 6th grade band like many Texas students. While it took a

few years for him to find his drive to improve as a musician, he would eventually find a passion for music as he

proceeded through the rest of his public education.

While Ryan was initially admitted to Texas Tech University as an architecture student, he quickly realized what

he truly wanted to study was music. Under the tutelage of David Dees, Ryan would go on to complete his

bachelor’s and master’s degrees in saxophone performance at TTU.

It was during his time at Texas Tech that Ryan became a founding member of the Aruna Quartet, with whom he was awarded prizes at numerous competitions including the Gold Medal and Grand Prize at the 46th Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. Ryan has continued to perform with the Aruna Quartet following his studies, which has provided many opportunities to travel, premiere new works, and educate across the country and beyond.

Aside from music, Ryan has been an avid fan of video games from a young age. He currently plays on PC as

his platform of choice and enjoys a variety of genres including but not limited to RPGs, platformers, and action

games.

Dr. Benjamin Berghorn: A native of Buffalo, NY, has taught trumpet students in the states of Texas, Michigan, Florida and New York. He has prepared students for Region Band, County, District, and State Solo and Ensemble Festivals (TMEA, NYSSMA and MSBOA) as well as given masterclasses, clinics, and well as prepared students for University auditions, competitions and contests.

During his time in Mid-Michigan, he served as an Adjunct Instructor at Lansing Community College and maintained an active private teaching studio in the Greater Lansing area. He also served as a brass coach and mentor for the Jackson Youth Symphony Orchestra. Along with teaching, he has also performed with the Jackson, Battle Creek and Lansing Symphony Orchestras. 

Internationally, he has served as Guest Principal Trumpet of the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, where he performed on Western and traditional music programs in many of Beijing’s finest concert halls. Other notable performing credits include a Guest Artist performance at the 2016 International Trumpet Guild Conference (Anaheim, CA) and as a Guest Musician with the Macau Orchestra in Macau, China.

​ He has collaborated with such artists as James Conlon, Joshua Bell, Placido Domingo, Andrew Litton, Wynton Marsalis and The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Lü Jia, Francis Kan, Tan Lihua, Shinik Hahm, Kevin Noe, Kevin Sedatole, Russel Mikkelson and the late Lawrence Leighton Smith.

​ Prior to coming to Hutto HS, Dr. Berghorn served as the Visiting Assistant Professor of Trumpet at Lamar University in Beaumont, TX. He has also served as a Private Lesson Instructor at Rouse High School, as well as the Stiles and Wiley Middle School Band programs (Leander ISD) and has taught other private students within the Greater Austin area. Along with Hutto, he also teaches trumpet at Weiss HS and Cele MS (Pflugerville ISD).

Dr. Berghorn holds degrees from Niagara Community College, SUNY Fredonia, Yale University and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Michigan State University. His love and enthusiasm for teaching music, while working with young adults is one he continually finds extremely rewarding.

Nicoletta Pignatello is a freelance horn player and teacher in the Austin Area. She received her

Bachelor’s Degree from Lawrence University and her Master’s Degree from Ithaca College. She

teaches in Hutto, Pflugerville, Austin, and Round Rock.

Originally from Austin, trombonist Matthew Flores is a diverse and skilled multi-genre musician with a deep love for music and education.  With 10+ years of performing and teaching experience, music has taken Matthew around the world including Texas, New York, Washington D.C., Georgia, Illinois, Italy, among more. He has participated in music festivals such as the Southeastern Trombone Symposium, International, Trombone Festival, and American Trombone Workshop. His passion for music led him to do his Bachelor’s Degree in Trombone Performance at Texas State University and his Master’s at Ithaca College in NYS. Matt now lives in Austin actively building his trombone teaching studio and playing other local musicians. Along with trombone Matt also teaches trumpet, guitar, and piano respectively. He is a motivated individual artist performing in different ensembles ranging from genres including classical, jazz, to Latin.  

Andrew Burris is a low brass specialist who grew up in Round Rock, Texas. After graduating from Cedar Ridge High School, he attended the University of North Texas College of Music to pursue a degree in music education. During college he had the opportunity to be a part of the teaching staff for the Green Brigade and Vines High School marching bands. As well as teaching marching band he volunteered time with the start up the band program helping low socioeconomic students start their instruments early. 

After graduation, Mr. Burris accepted a position as the music specialist for Elm Grove Elementary in Humble ISD, where he taught for 2 years. Following this Mr.Burris moved back to the Austin area where he was the assistant band director for Llano ISD until 2024. Starting in the fall of 2024 Mr. Burris has been a private lesson instructor for Hutto, Leander, Round Rock, Georgetown, and Pflugerville Independent School Districts. 

Ching-Ping (Peggy) Wang is an accomplished freelance percussionist based in Austin, TX, celebrated for her versatility and artistry across diverse musical genres and settings, including orchestral, ensemble, and solo performances. Peggy’s musical journey began at age four with piano, a foundation that enriched her later pursuits in percussion.

With over a decade of teaching experience, Peggy has guided students of all ages, mentoring them in preparation for public performances, competitions, and auditions. Known for her personalized, student-centered approach, Peggy is highly regarded by educational institutions and parents alike for her dedication to nurturing each student’s unique potential.

Peggy holds a Master of Music in Percussion Performance from the State University of New York at Purchase College (2010) and a Bachelor of Music Education from Taipei Municipal University of Education in Taiwan (2004). Her professional background includes roles as a percussion ensemble conductor and extensive knowledge in music theory and history.

Outside of her professional life, Peggy enjoys spending time with her family, particularly biking with her husband and child.