Our nationally recognized, award winning team has over 157 years of combined teaching experience.
“A teaching artist is a practicing professional artist with the complementary skills, curiosities and habits of mind of an educator, who can effectively engage a wide range of people in learning experiences in, through, and about the arts.”
Dr. Dave Wilken, Program Director
"Dr. Dave" has been a part of MusicWorks Asheville since 2014 and has served as Program Director since 2016. Dr. Dave studied composition at Illinois Wesleyan University, jazz studies at DePaul University, and trombone performance at Ball State University. He has taught music at Indiana Wesleyan University, Adams State College, University of North Carolina at Asheville, Western Carolina University, and Owen High School. When not teaching and administrating for MusicWorks, he performs as a freelance trombonist around western North Carolina, directs the Asheville Jazz Orchestra and the Land of the Sky Symphonic Band. He also composes and arranges music for a variety of student and professional ensembles.
Amanda Durst, Assistant Director
Drawn to the mountains and vibrant arts community, Amanda moved to Asheville in 2018 from southern Maryland. Prior to joining MusicWorks she served as Development Manager of the Asheville Symphony Orchestra and Development Coordinator and Grant Writer at the YWCA of Asheville and WNC. In addition to her administrative work Amanda is a professional freelance cellist. She plays with several orchestras in the Western North Carolina/East Tennessee area and performs with her string quartet, the Meadowlark Quartet. She is passionate about fostering connections through music and performing music by underrepresented composers.
Erik Martinez, Academic Support Specialist
Bio coming soon!
Jason McCoy, Strings Teaching Artist
Jason McCoy is a multi-instrumentalist with a diverse musical background. He has studied and performed a wide range of styles from Classical, Blues, Rock, and Jazz, to Traditional American folk music, and North Indian classical music. Jason has been teaching music since 2005. He worked as a strings clinician at various middle schools in Miami Dade county, and conducted intermediate ensembles for the Greater Miami Youth Symphony. Recently, he spent three years in Japan teaching English and violin classes. Jason moved to Asheville in October of 2017 where he plays regularly with the Asheville Symphony and maintains a private teaching studio.
Izzy Olson, Percussion and Bucket Band
Bio coming soon!
Emily Berk, Chorus Teaching Artist
Bio coming soon!
Dianna Nickell, Kindergarten Teaching Artist
Dianna Nickell is the Kindergarten Teaching Artist at MusicWorks. She was raised in the Asheville area and she and her husband have the good fortune to be raising our three daughters in Asheville. All three of her girls were MusicWorks students. Her passion for working with young children goes back as far as she can remember. She has worked with young children in various capacities over the last 30 years. Her time with MusicWorks began as a parent, then a substitute, and now a Teaching Artist with the program for the last four years. She holds Bachelors degree in Education from Western Carolina University.
Hannah Smith, Musicianship Teaching Artist
Bennie Nickell, Program Assistant
Bio Coming Soon