Board Of Directors
Susan Spina, President
Susan (Su) Spina has been a member of the PWS percussion section since 2023, having previously performed with the Chester County Concert Band and the Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra. She earned her B.A. from Franklin and Marshall College with a major in American Studies and a minor in Music Performance, serving as principal percussionist in the F&M Orchestra and Wind Ensemble. For work, Su is the Grants Manager at Women Against Abuse, a Philadelphia domestic violence non-profit.
Jeff Istvan, Vice President
Jeff Istvan plays in the PWS trumpet section. He also is principal trumpet in the Delaware County Symphony. Jeff has performed with dozensof other local organizations, including the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, Concerto Soloists Chamber Orchestra, Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra and Specifically Brass. Before moving to Philadelphia, he was a member of the Charlottesville Symphony Orchestra, and before that, he studied at the Eastman School of Music. Jeff earned a B.A. from the University of Rochester and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. By day, Jeff is an antitrust lawyer and the managing partner of the Center City law firm Fine, Kaplan & Black, R.P.C.
Amy Thomas, Treasurer
Amy K. Thomas is an attorney licensed in California and Nevada. She served in the Sixth Army Band (1987-1989). She moved from San Francisco to Philadelphia in January 2022, lured by family and roast pork sandwiches.
William Rachko, Secretary
Philip Marion, Member-At-Large
Phillip Marion is an active brass player and music educator in Philadelphia who recently completed his DMA from James Madison University, and started playing with the Philadelphia Wind Symphony in 2015. He is a versatile artist, having performed in solo, chamber, and large ensemble concerts throughout the United States, and having won and placed highly in numerous regional and international music competitions. He specializes in British brass band style playing and has played solo euphonium, trombone and baritone with multiple championship level contest bands including the Dallas Brass Band, Princeton Brass Band, Atlantic Brass Band, and James Madison University Brass Band.
Phillip has studied with some of the world’s top brass performers, including Pennsylvania Ballet tubist Jay Krush, euphonium soloist and clinician Brian Bowman and tuba soloist and conductor Kevin Stees. These expert teachers have helped him develop both highly acclaimed musical technique and a deep passion for the art.
Joseph Higgins, Music Director
Dr. Joseph Higgins is a conductor and educator who inspires creativity, curiosity, and understanding through art. He is thrilled to be joining the Philadelphia Wind Symphony for his first season as Music Director in 2024-2025.
In 2015, Higgins joined the faculty of Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey, where he conducts the Wind Ensemble and teaches courses in conducting and literature. During his tenure, the program has grown to include multiple directors, three concert ensembles, and the new “Pride of the Profs” Marching Band; ensembles under his direction have premiered over forty new works and collaborated with many world-class artists, including a recent residency with contemporary chamber ensemble Eighth Blackbird. For his exceptional leadership in the classroom, Higgins was awarded the Frances S. Johnson Innovative Teaching Award. He also received the Rowan University Values Award for Inclusivity in recognition of curating a “Music of Social Justice” performance series. The Rowan University Wind Ensemble performed at the 2020 College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) Eastern Division Conference, and Rowan Bands are often invited to state and regional festivals and conferences.
Higgins is a passionate advocate of socially-conscious programming that encourages greater connection among performers, audiences, and their environments. He served as co-chair of the Rowan University Catalysts for Sustainability initiative and is actively engaged with sustainability research, climate activism, and environmental education. Higgins founded and produced the first Sound Planet Music Festival in 2023; to learn more about recent sustainability programming and join future events, please visit: soundplanet.me.
He earned doctor and master of music degrees in conducting from Northwestern University, where his primary teacher was Mallory Thompson, and a bachelor of music degree in music education from the University of Georgia. Prior to graduate study, Higgins taught at North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia. His other interests include film, politics, drawing, history, and cycling. He lives in Haddon Heights, New Jersey, with his wife Michelle Higgins and their daughters, Eden and Iris.
Ian Taylor, General Manager
After spending formative years immersed in a robust public school music program, Ian has built his career around bringing rich musical experiences to students in spaces that have historically had fewer such opportunities. He has taught instrumental music at various schools in New York, Connecticut, and the US Virgin Islands. He was a founding member and later of Executive Director of Project Music, an organization that brings out-of-school-time music education programs to underserved communities in Stamford, CT. Since 2021, Ian has worked in various roles at Play On Philly, including directing the music program at Roman Catholic High School and coordinating after-school and summer music programs for area children. He received his B.M. and M.M. in Music Education from the State University of New York College at Fredonia and Boston University, respectively. Ian also holds a certificate in nonprofit management from Duke University, as well as an executive certificate in social leadership and teaching artistry from the Global Leaders Program of Youth Orchestra of the Americas. Ian has had the great pleasure of working alongside likeminded educators across the United States and internationally, including partnerships with music programs in Chile, Honduras, Bolivia, and Mexico. He joined PWS in 2022 as a member of the trumpet section.