Arnold Kirshenbaum
Composer, Lyricist, Playwright
Dr. Arnold “Arnie” Kirshenbaum is a practicing allergist/immunologist and clinical researcher. He grew up in Rhode Island in a musical family; his father David was a professional alto saxophone player with his own jazz band in the late 1930s. Arnie began his own career first studying and playing piano, then flute, piccolo and oboe in the school orchestra and Rhode Island Youth Philharmonic. His mentor at that time gave him a simple decision: choose music or medicine for a career. Arnie followed his father’s advice, graduated Providence College and entered Georgetown Medical School under a Naval Health Professions Scholarship. Maryland became his home, and he began composing music, especially classical and Jewish. When he retired as a full Commander from the Navy, Arnie had already compiled a number of melodies, but he needed a teacher. Beginning 2014, Arnie began studying college level music theory and composition with Dr. Joshua Fishbein, a well-known choral and orchestral music teacher and composer. Josh encouraged new works, musical competitions and performances. Performed and published works can be found on his website, www.thejewishcomposer.com. “March Sousa” was performed by the University of Maryland Marching Band in 2016. “Priestly Blessing” was recorded in 2017 for chorus and piano. His first full orchestral work, “Festival of Lights Medley”, was performed by the Susquehanna Symphony Orchestra in December 2018. “Ani L’Dodi V’Dodi Li” was recorded and performed by the Wavelength Winds Woodwind Ensemble, University of Maryland, in 2018 and 2019.
His second complete orchestral work, “Millennial Symphony” was completed 2020 and influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Concerto for Piano and Strings” was completed 2021 and may be scheduled for premiere performance in 2023-2024. “Variations on a Theme from Tisha B’Av” was performed in 2022 by concert pianist Raffi Kasparian at the Lyceum in Alexandria, Va.
He approached his fellow composer, colleague and attorney, Robert Nath, 3 years ago with an idea for a new musical about the story of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. The Musical, “Where You Go, I Will Go” along with Maestro Dokken, is the result of this collaboration, with a Performance date anticipated for late 2023. Arnie lives with his wife Vivian in Silver Spring. Together they have 6 children, 25 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren living in the US and Israel.

Robert Nath
Composer, Lyricist, Playwright
Bob is a tax attorney practicing in Reston, Virginia. He is a graduate of Yale College, the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and holds a Master of Laws in Taxation from Georgetown University. Bob also studies Hebrew. He is the author of a book, “The Unofficial Guide to Dealing with the IRS” (Macmillan, 1999), and is a former US Army Reserve officer (Major), where he served as a Green Beret.
His love of music began early, listening to his mom, a first-generation American, playing Romanian melodies on the violin. He grew up in New York City; there he developed a love of musical theatre. After moving to the DC area, Bob joined the choir at Washington Hebrew Congregation 25 years ago. Inspired by the Jewish music he learned there, he composed a Friday evening Sabbath service of 13 prayers and songs. This service, “Hanefesh shel Shabbat,” was introduced to the Congregation on Shabbat in 2013 and 2016. Transcontinental Music Publishers also chose two prayers from this service in a competition for its Shabbat Anthology VII. Selections from that service, and additional Jewish-themed songs, may be found at www.soulofsabbath.com.
Three years ago, Bob’s fellow composer, physician Arnold Kirshenbaum, approached him with an idea for an original musical based on the story of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz from the Hebrew Bible. “Where You Go, I Will Go,” under the guidance of Maestro Jeffrey Dokken, is the result of this collaboration.
Bob and his wife Judy have been married almost 40 years; they live in Potomac, Maryland. Judy and Bob have two wonderful daughters and four adorable grandchildren, living in the US and Israel.

Music Director & Producer
As featured in the “Best Of” issue of Virginia Living Magazine, Maestro Jeffrey Sean Dokken is one of today’s most exciting and vibrant Music Directors and Conductors. Over the past decade, Dokken has performed throughout the United States in some of America’s greatest venues, including The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Strathmore Concert Hall, The Grand Opera House, Constitution Hall and many more. Internationally, he’s performed in innumerable world renowned venues throughout Europe and South America. Maestro Dokken has had the distinct honor of conducting at the White House in Washington D.C. on several occasions. ​
Dokken is the Music Director and Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of Northern Virginia, and the Artistic Director and Conductor of The Rome Symphony Orchestra in Rome, Georgia. Additionally, Maestro Dokken is the Music Director for the NFL's Washington Commanders. Dokken has an active career as a guest conductor, and amongst many other recent engagements throughout the United States and abroad, has recently had the honor of conducting the National Symphonies of Brazil and Ecuador, and conducting the World Premiere of the Philip Glass Flute Concerto in Florence, Italy.
After earning his degree in voice from the University of Redlands, Dokken pursued graduate degrees at California Lutheran University and Shenandoah Conservatory. A multi-instrumentalist as well as a vocalist, Dokken is a piano, brass and percussion specialist, with an emphasis on low brass. He has composed for, conducted and performed on a number of recordings, including recent recordings of flute and orchestra music for Universal Music Group, and on “Premiered at the Opera House,” a recording with the Symphony Orchestra of Northern Virginia and the Metropolitan Chorus. Additionally, Maestro Dokken recorded a CD of American music with renowned violinist Jorge Saade and the Guayaquil symphony orchestra. A lover of all kinds of Rock music, Dokken frequently lectures on the intersection of popular and classical music, and features the juxtaposition of genres in much of his programming. Dokken maintains a thriving Arts Consulting Business, with an emphasis on helping composers and artists bring their works to life.

Jeff Dokken
Dean Scarlett
Orchestrator & Arranger
Dean Scarlett is a composer, orchestrator, and low brass specialist/bassist based in North New Jersey. As a composer and orchestrator, Dean has had the opportunity to work in a variety of styles. He has produced arrangements and compositions for the big bands of Art Baden and Ralph Peterson Jr, the later of which won the downbeat award for rising star big band. He has also produced arrangement for a big band of his own, with a record out titled “Good Eats” which can be streamed on Bandcamp. He has orchestrated several regional and virtual musicals and works of musical theatre from the amateur up to the professional level, including work for Harvard/The American Rep. Additionally, he has arranged horns and strings in popular music as well as for pops orchestras. He has written music for visual media as well, creating music for a LA-based sketch series projected “Toluca Lake”. He is always excited to find new collaborators, and is excited to be working on new musical projects for himself this year!

Elizabeth Steele
Associate Producer
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Steele is a producer, acrobatic performer, and viola player. Lizzie is the Orchestra Manager for the Symphony Orchestra of Northern Virginia (SONOVA) and has previously worked in production and education roles for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Trapeze School New York in Washington, D.C. She is excited to be working on the production team for the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC in May 2023.
Lizzie brings an analytical approach to the creative from her academic and early career focus in Materials Science and Engineering. She spent five years working as an engineer for the U.S. Navy before pivoting to a career in the arts in 2022. As a performer, Lizzie played viola in the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra and has performed professionally as a hand-to-hand acrobatics flyer, on the flying trapeze, and as a stilt walker. Lizzie is enthusiastic about multidisciplinary performance, with specific interests in innovative cross-genre programming and presenting known works through new lenses.
