Reston Chorale Staff

David Brian Lang, Artistic Director

Since his 2000 arrival in the Washington, D.C., area, David Brian Lang has gained prominence as a leading professional accompanist, vocal coach, concert organist and choral conductor. He has prepared choruses for such venues as The Kennedy Center, George Mason Center for the Performing Arts and Wolf Trap. He has also worked with notable conductors, including Emil de Cou, Placido Domingo, Rodney Eichenberger, Marvin Hamlisch, Kurt Masur and Leonard Slatkin.

Now in his tenth season as the artistic director for The Reston Chorale, Maestro Lang also serves as director of music for Saint Dunstan's Episcopal Church in McLean and Theological College in Washington, DC. He is a conductor for Encore Creativity for Older Adults and keyboard artist for Washington Hebrew Congregation. Through R. A. Daffer Church Organs, Inc. of Jessup, MD, Lang is the DC and northern VA sales director for Rodgers, Johannus, and Makin organs.

Previously, Lang served as the director of music and master of the choristers for Saint John the Beloved Catholic Church in McLean, VA, as director of music for Saint Catherine of Siena in Great Falls, VA, and as principal organist for Saint John's Episcopal Church-Lafayette Square (Church of the Presidents), in Washington, DC.

Mr. Lang received his Bachelor of Music degree in choral education and sacred music from Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. He attained his Master of Music degree in organ performance from the University of Louisville.

Jeffrey Kempskie, Associate Director

Jeff Kempskie joins The Reston Chorale as associate director in the 2019-20 Season, and conductor of Camarata, the Chorale's chamber ensemble. Mr. Kempskie is active in the Washington, DC, area as a church musician, choral conductor, accompanist, educator, and singer. He has served as Director of Music and organist at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Capitol Hill, since the fall of 2010, where he directs the Chancel Choir and manages all other aspects of the music program. Mr. Kempskie has been on the faculty of The George Washington University since January 2016 and is the accompanist and assistant conductor for the University Singers and Women's Ensemble. He also coordinates a monthly recital series, is a piano accompanist for various recitals, and has coached chamber ensembles. As a singer, Mr. Kempskie has substituted at Washington National Cathedral, St. Paul's K Street, and has sung with the early music ensemble Chantry, as well as the Cantate Chamber Singers.

Prior to moving to Washington, DC, Mr. Kempskie taught choral music at the Eaglebrook School and Quabbin Regional Middle/High School while serving as organist or director of music at a variety of churches of different denominations - Unitarian Universalist, Catholic, Episcopal, and Presbyterian - in Massachusetts and New York. He has been piano and organ accompanist for choirs at the Eastman School of Music, Smith College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In addition, he has music-directed or played keyboard for nearly 60 musical theater productions.

Mr. Kempskie received his Bachelors degree in Music Education and a Masters degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, studying conducting with Dr. E. Wayne Abercrombie. He also earned a Masters degree in Organ Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music, where he studied with Dr. William Porter.

Tordis Fahringer, Keyboard Artist

Tordis Fahringer began studying piano at the age of five. She received her Bachelor of Arts, with a major in music, from Douglass College (Rutgers University) in New Brunswick, N.J. Following graduation, she lived and worked in New York City, where she studied piano with Jascha Zayde.

Ms. Fahringer is the pianist and organist at Galilee United Methodist Church in Sterling, VA. Prior to joining The Reston Chorale in 2004, she was the accompanist for the Master Singers of Virginia for nine years. She also accompanied The Reston Chorale for rehearsals and the performance of Carmina Burana for two pianos and percussion in 2003.

Ms. Fahringer has performed piano duet concerts on several occasions with David Lang as part of the Meet the Artists program under the auspices of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at George Mason University.

Susan Meeks-Versteeg, Managing Director

Susan Meeks-Versteeg brings extensive marketing, communications and management experience in nonprofit, association and business arenas to her role with The Reston Chorale. In addition to managing day-to-day operations, Ms. Meeks-Versteeg oversees the Chorale's annual concert performances and coordinates publicity and community outreach for the Chorale. Ms. Meeks-Versteeg is also the founder and principal of Cadenza, providing communications and event management services for the nonprofit sector and corporate social responsibility programs. Prior to founding Cadenza in 2000, Ms. Meeks-Versteeg held marketing, communications and event management positions with C.C. Pace Systems, Freddie Mac and United Way of America. Her work has earned accolades from clients and awards from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), the International Association of Business Communicators, and PR Casebook. Ms. Meeks-Versteeg studied voice at Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. She has served in volunteer leadership positions with local arts organizations, including Youth Orchestras of Prince William and the Asaph Ensemble. While at Freddie Mac, she also served as a corporate liaison and volunteer with the Arts Council of Fairfax County's International Children's Festival.