Staff

Ula Kauppi, CFRE

Executive Director

Ula Kauppi became the Executive Director of the LSO on June 1, 2024. Ula comes to the LSO with an extensive background in resource development, marketing, and communications at the Free Clinic of Central Virginia, E.C. Glass Theatre, and United Way of Central Virginia. She has also served on the Board of Trustees at the Academy Center of the Arts for five years.

Ula holds the CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) designation and will complete her masters in Nonprofit Leadership Studies at the University of Lynchburg in December 2024. A lifelong patron of the arts, Ula has called Lynchburg home since 2004 alongside her husband Alan. They are proud to have raised three wonderful children – now young adults – who all participated in the Lynchburg City Schools Strings program.

David Glover

Music Director and Conductor

David Glover was named LSO Music Director and Conductor prior to the 2019-2020 season. Known for his exciting and passionate music making, Glover is recognized as one of the rising stars of his generation. He recently concluded a tenure as the Associate Conductor of the North Carolina Symphony where he led numerous high-profit concerts. That included a last-minute performance of Carmina Burana, in which Glover stepped in for Music Director Grant Llewellyn, the opening classical concert of the Symphony’s new hall in Wilmington, NC, and two-state-wide tours.

In addition to his position in Lynchburg, Glover is currently the conductor of the Triangle Youth Philharmonic in Raleigh, NC, and artistic director of its parent organization, the Philharmonic Association. Recently, Glover has made return guest appearances with the Charlotte Symphony, and at Furman University. He lives in Cary, NC, with his wife Emily, a violinist with the North Carolina Symphony, and their daughter Maia.

Gina DiCarlo

LSYO Conductor

Gina DiCarlo is the conductor for both LSYO ensembles: String Orchestra and Symphonic Orchestra. She started studying music seriously at an early age, attending the Pennsylvania Academy of Music during her middle and high school years. She graduated from the program with honors and won two concerto competitions on violin during her time there, performing the Barber violin concerto and Zigeunerweisen with orchestra. After high school, Ms. DiCarlo studied at the Eastman School of Music under the tutelage of Lynn Blakeslee. She received her bachelor’s degree in Music Performance and Music Education from ESM, with honors, in 2014.

Ms. DiCarlo served as the Orchestra Director at E.C. Glass High School from 2015-2024 and served three consecutive terms as Chair of South Central Senior Regional Orchestra, from 2018-2024. She also served as Adjunct Violin and Viola Instructor at Randolph College and Sweet Briar College from 2017-2021.

Ms. DiCarlo performs regularly on the violin and viola, both in chamber and orchestral settings. She has been a member of the Pennsylvania Philharmonic, the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, the Endless Mountain Music Festival, and the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra, where she served as guest concertmaster in the 2015-2016 season and returned as concertmaster for the 2016-2017 season. DiCarlo also guest conducted the Lynchburg Symphony for the Bernstein Bash event in October 2018. She has performed abroad in Austria, China, and Tibet, and has collaborated with rock, jazz, and Spanish ensembles for various events and performances. The song “Rain”, which featured DiCarlo, aired on Season 8 of Grey’s Anatomy in 2011.

In addition to Ms. DiCarlo’s many musical pursuits, she is also a fitness instructor at her local gym and a published author. Her debut novel was released in May 2019, her second novel was released in 2020, and her third novel was released in January 2022.

Angie Hales

Music Coordinator and Personnel Manager

Angie Hales was born into a musical, Christian family. Her father started her with piano lessons at age 4 and as an evangelist, he had Angie singing to many churches across the US, standing on a chair to reach the pulpits with her father as her piano accompanist. She studied violin with Clive Muncaster and voice with Linda Granger at Liberty University, graduating in 1997 with a BS in Music Education with a choral concentration.

After college, Angie played in the Johnson City, TN Orchestra for several years until she began to teach privately in her home. Then as her family grew, she moved her studio to Liberty Christian Academy (LCA) where she taught private strings and piano for several years and began a beginner string orchestra and an intermediate/advanced full orchestra. She began playing for the orchestra at Thomas Road Baptist Church in 1992 with their production of the Living Christmas Tree and continues to play as Principal Violin 2 for Sunday morning worship services and now their Virginia Christmas Spectacular productions. She has been on staff at TRBC in the children’s ministry department for 20+ years as part of the director team for the large events (VBS, Kid’s Karnival, etc.).

In 1993, Angie began playing violin with the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra (LSO) and in 2012 was asked to be a Musician Representative to the LSO Board of Directors, serving 4 years. In 2016, Angie then joined the LSO staff as the Music Coordinator and Personnel Manager. She enjoys managing backstage during concerts and supporting the rest of the staff, Music Director/Conductor, and fellow musicians.

Heather Laurence

LSYO Coordinator

Heather Laurence began serving as a parent volunteer with the Lynchburg Symphony Youth Orchestra in 2014, when she and her family moved to Lynchburg. She served as President of the LSYO Board twice and was a member of the team that merged the LSYO with the LSO in 2021.

After earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in Classical Studies and pursuing two years of graduate study in Greek and Latin, Heather worked at the University of Washington in Seattle as the office manager for the Washington Pulp and Paper Foundation. In this capacity, she had the opportunity to support many first-generation college students from rural logging communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. Facilitating ways for all young people to achieve their potential remains one of her top priorities.

Heather and her husband Jeffrey live in Lynchburg and are parents of two adult sons, the younger of which is a proud graduate of Lynchburg City Schools and the Lynchburg Symphony Youth Orchestra.

Dana Blackwood

Office Administrator

Dana Blackwood became the office administrator of LSO in May of 2024. Dana acquired a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences from Lynchburg College and has experience as an executive assistant and bookkeeper. Dana brings unique organizational skills and creativity to her role at LSO.

Born and raised in the Lynchburg area, Dana has a passion for local historical preservation and giving back to her community. She currently serves on the Lynchburg Historical Foundation Board as President and has proudly volunteered at the Miller Home for over 14 years. Dana loves spending time outdoors with her husband Ron, her girls Ryien and Brittany and their three dogs Max, Moose and Ollie.