Meet Our Team

Amanda Haag

Program Director / Choral Director

Amanda Haag studied at Northeastern University in Boston, MA where she majored in Music and minored in Psychology and Health Science. At Northeastern, Amanda served as Musical Director, Band Director, Producer, Private Vocal Instructor, and Private Musical Theatre Coach for several musical theatre productions and other performance groups. It was through this involvement that Amanda discovered her passion for teaching and music directing. Amanda also spent six months living in Barcelona, Spain where she taught daily music and ESL classes to young children. During her education, Amanda began a career in music production as a sound and recording engineer, recording and producing with hundreds of musicians in the Boston area. As a professional vocalist, Amanda has performed as a soloist and ensemble member in renowned venues across Europe and the United States including multiple concerts at New York City’s Carnegie Hall and The Alice Tully Hall. Amanda now resides in Macungie, PA and absolutely loves working with the team of talented teaching artists and students at El Sistema Lehigh Valley!

Margaret Medina

Program Manager/Conductor

Margaret Medina is a graduate of Muhlenberg College, where she earned a degree in Music with a Concentration in Violin Performance. Margaret also plays viola and piano and writes and arranges music of her own. She loves arts in all forms and is passionate about sharing the joy of creativity with the students and staff of El Sistema Lehigh Valley, where she serves as Program Manager and Orchestra Conductor. Margaret began working with El Sistema Lehigh Valley eight years ago, and to this day, she counts herself lucky to be able to work with such an amazing group of people. Margaret resides in beautiful Kutztown, PA with her husband and children, and enjoys being outside in the garden or exploring the outdoors with her family.

Jorge Vera

ASA Musician-in-Residence/ESLV Teaching Artist

Originally from Paraguay, Vera is a violinist, educator, and composer with an international career spanning Europe, South America, and the United States. He has performed with orchestras such as the Orquesta Sinfónica de la Ciudad de Asunción and has been recognized with awards including the Gindroz Prize and First Prize at the International Golden State Music Competition. Vera completed his Master’s in Music Performance at Carnegie Mellon University, where he was a member of the Honors String Quartet in Residence.

Fluent in Spanish, Guaraní, Portuguese, and English, Vera brings over eight years of experience teaching violin and leading youth orchestras in underserved communities, including rural areas. His teaching philosophy emphasizes expanding access to high-quality music education and fostering strong community ties through music.

In his role as Musician-in-Residence, Vera serves as a tenure-track violinist in the second violin section of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra (ASO). He is also a Teaching Artist with El Sistema Lehigh Valley, an after-school program providing free music education and tutoring to youth, and acts as a community liaison through performances, presentations, and engagements throughout the region.

Nicholas Conti

Program Coordinator

Brianna Herrera

Teaching Artist

Recent Kutztown University graduate, Brianna Herrera, earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music with a concentration in Violin.
Herrera began her musical career with the El Sistema Lehigh Valley program as a student in 2011, at the age of 7.
Herrera now serves as a teaching artist with her alma mater as of 2023, where she interned and honed in on her love for teaching music with El Sistema.
Herrera now resides in Allentown, PA and is ecstatic to be part of a team that is passionate about providing students with high quality music education, and ensure a safe and welcoming space for all!

Margaret Hammett

Teaching Artist

Margaret Hammett grew up in the Lehigh Valley where she has studied violin for over fifteen years. After graduating from high school in 2021, she pursued private teacher training in the Suzuki Method and has been certified in Suzuki books 1-4. She remains an active performer and is a member of the Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra which is based in Allentown, and the Kutztown University Orchestra. She has a passion for teaching and loves working with young children! In addition to her work with El Sistema, she also runs a private studio where she shares her love of music with children of all ages.