WHO WE ARE
Now in its eleventh season, District5 has established itself as one of the most innovative chamber music ensembles in the greater Washington DC area. Each show combines their distinct blend of passion, humor, and virtuosity with music you won’t hear anywhere else.
District5 has appeared at venues like “The REACH” at the Kennedy Center, Music at Dumbarton Oaks, the Barns at Wolftrap, the U.S. Department of State, the Great Hall of the Library of Congress, the American Revolution Institute, the Kosciuszko Foundation, Capitol Fringe, the Chesapeake Music Festival, and the District New Music Coalition Conference.
They received a 2024 Paul R. Judy Center for Research and Innovation grant for "The Queentet Project; a drag symphonic story hour" which included the commission Gorgeously,You! by composer Christen Taylor Holmes. Their debut album of the complete Chopin Preludes was recorded in 2018 and is available on YouTube, Amazon, iTunes, and Spotify. In 2024, they released the first volume of a recording project titled "Forgotten Dances", which highlights lesser-known works and pieces composed by historically marginalized composers. They also commissioned the “Pandemic Suite,” a collection of short wind quintets by South African and American composers; recorded And Then by award-winning DC composer Jessica Krash; and were the recipients of a Chamber Music America ‘Classical Commission’ with Cypriot-American composer Evis Sammoutis. Together with the group’s ‘Transcriber-in-Residence’ David Plylar, they have brought new life to nearly 100 original transcriptions, many of which feature little-known works and composers.
District5 also enjoys sharing its love for chamber music with young musicians. They have designed educational programs for the Virginia Arts Fest, DC Youth Orchestra Program, American Youth Philharmonic, and the UMBC Wind Ensemble, and served as Ensemble-In-Residence at the University of Maryland’s High School Music Academy. In the summer of 2025, they will serve as faculty for American Youth Philharmonic Orchestra’s Wind Chamber Music Academy.
D5 MEMBERS
LAURA KAUFMAN MOWRY
Laura Kaufman Mowry is a soloist, orchestral, and chamber musician who has been hailed by the Washington Post for “absolutely gorgeous flute-playing.” She serves as Principal Flute in the Maryland Symphony and has performed with a variety of renowned ensembles, including the National Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Alexandria Symphony, Fairfax Symphony, Annapolis Symphony, and Smithsonian Chamber Players among many others as a guest musician.
Laura is Adjunct Professor of Flute at George Mason University. She also maintains a private flute studio, and has coached wind players at the University of Maryland at Baltimore County, American Youth Philharmonic, and the University of Maryland High School Academy. Laura has received national recognition from prize-winning performances at the National Flute Association’s Young Artist Competition, National Society of Arts and Letters Wind Competition, New York Flute Club Competition, Flute Society of Washington Young Artist Competition, Pasadena Instrumental Competition, etc...
Laura holds degrees from Eastman School of Music, The Colburn School, and the University of Maryland.
ALISON LOWELL
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Alison Lowell is a passionate arts advocate. She is a founding member of District5 and is the Director of the Loboe Project, a platform to commission and promote works for the extended-range oboe. Previously, Alison served as Principal Oboist of the Kwa-Zulu Natal Philharmonic in South Africa where she promoted works by local composers, organized national chamber tours, and designed outreach initiatives. Alison was also the Managing Director of Out of Context, a Los Angeles-based new music ensemble for six years. She is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, the University of Southern California, and the University of Maryland, where she received her doctorate.
When not performing, Alison serves artists as a Supervisory Copyright Specialist with the U.S. Copyright Office at the Library of Congress. In this role she leads a team of expert performing arts examiners who analyze sound recordings, screenplays, and musical compositions. Alison resides in Maryland with her husband, composer and fellow Eastman alum David Plylar, and her daughters Adelaide and Penelope.
JAKOB LENHARDT
Originally from New Jersey, Jakob moved to Washington DC in 2023. Jakob has performed as a clarinet fellow with the New World Symphony in Miami, FL and had fellowships with some of the world’s most prestigious summer music festivals including the Tanglewood Music Center, Pacific Music Festival, National Repertory Orchestra, and many more. Jakob holds a Masters degree in clarinet performance from the University of Michigan and a bachelors degree in music education from The College of New Jersey. His principal teachers include Dan Gilbert, Chad Burrow, Roger McKinney, and George Balog. Jakob Lenhardt joined the District5 Woodwind Quintet in 2024.
MATTHEW GREGOIRE
Matthew Gregoire is a Washington, D.C. based bassoonist originally from Dover, New Hampshire. He holds degrees in performance from the Eastman School of Music and the Yale School of Music, where he studied with John Hunt and Frank Morelli, respectively. Prior to relocating to the DMV, he was a fellow with The Orchestra Now at Bard College. He is regular substitute with the National Symphony Orchestra and has participated in numerous summer programs around the country, including the Chautauqua Music Festival, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Vermont Mozart Festival, and Colorado College Summer Music Festival. Matthew joined District5 in February of 2022.
Josh Thompson is a horn player hailing from Spring, Texas. He has performed with many ensembles including the National Philharmonic, American Pops Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic, Annapolis Symphony, and New World Symphony. Thompson also performs regularly at the Tony Award-winning Signature Theater in Shirlington, VA.
Josh has held fellowships at various programs and summer festivals, including the Tanglewood Music Center, New York String Orchestra Seminar, Norfolk (CT) Chamber Festival, and the Bowdoin International Music Festival.
Thompson holds degrees from the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University and the Yale School Music, studying with Gail Williams, William Purvis, and Jonathan Boen.