• Mrs. Peugnet

    MRS. ANGELA PEUGNET

    FSMS Orchestra Head Director

    I have served as an orchestra director at Fort Settlement MS since the fall of 2006.  I received a Bachelors of Music with Teachers Certification from the University of Houston with Membership in the Honors College and hold a Masters Degree in Music with a conducting specialization from Colorado State University. I have taught in the Spring Branch Independent School District and was on staff with the University of Houston Moores School of Music's Preparatory and Continuing Studies Department as the Suzuki Strings Program Coordinator.  My teacher influences include: Dr. Laurie Scott, Mr. William Dick, Mr. Andrzej Grabiec, and Maestros Franz Kraeger and Wes Kenney.

    I am a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Orchestra Directors Association, American String Teachers Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association, the Suzuki Association of the Americas, Sigma Alpha Iota, and I serve as an orchestra committee member for the Texas Prescribed Music List.  I am a member of Mu Omicron, a peer nominated honors society of orchestra directors. I worked as a conductor and clinician with the Greater Houston Youth Orchestra and a section coach with the Houston Youth Symphony, one of the largest non-profit youth symphonies in the United States. I am also honored to be a member of AFA's Summer teaching faculty. In 2019 I was honored with the Music Educator Award by the Houston Symphony and the Spec's Charitable Foundation.
     
    My husband, Forrest Peugnet, and I are proud parents to three girls.  When I am not teaching, I enjoy playing music, practicing, backpacking, hiking, camping, reading, and playing board/video games with my family and friends.
     

    Degrees and Certifications:

    Master of Music Education and Conducting - Colorado State University
    Bachelor of Music - University of Houston
    Certification - Suzuki ECC through Violin Book 4
    Certification - All Level Music

  • Ms. SpencerMS. ELIZABETH SPENCER

    FSMS Orchestra Associate Director

    I am a recent Magna Cum Laude graduate from the University of Houston with Bachelor’s in Music Education and Cello Performance. At the Moores School of Music I performed with the Moores Symphony, Chamber, Ballet, and Opera Orchestras as well as the inaugural Moores Cello Orchestra. I was also an active member of the Honors College and conducted interdisciplinary research connecting orchestral works to contemporary politics. My teacher influences include Mr. Anthony Kitai, Ms. Tanya Carey, and Mr. Eunghee Cho.

    I am a certified Suzuki Cello Teacher and received my instruction under the tutelage of Dr. Tanya L. Carey and currently serve as a private lessons instructor in the Greater Houston Area. Suzuki training and holistic playing are essential to my classroom instruction and I firmly believe that any child can achieve success on a string instrument. I am a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Orchestra Directors Association, and the Suzuki Association of the Americas. 

    When I am not playing cello or teaching, I love to read, travel, attend yoga classes, and spend time with my fiance and our cat Ribbon. I am so excited to be a part of the Fort Settlement team and to work with this vibrant musical community. 

  • Photo Mrs. Gustafson

    MRS. STEPHANIE GUSTAFSON

    FBISD HARP SPECIALIST

    Originally from Chicago, harpist Stephanie Gustafson now resides in Houston, where she is an active performer, educator, and writer. She has been principal harpist with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra since August 2015 and is a regular guest of the Houston Symphony and Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra in New Orleans. She has also worked with the Austin Symphony, the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra, and the El Paso Symphony and Opera. Prior to her move to Houston, Stephanie lived in Washington DC where she held the position of principal harpist with the Annapolis Symphony and regularly traveled to Chile to performed with the Orquesta Filarmónica de Santiago as acting principal harpist for their 2013–2014 season.

    A passionate educator, Stephanie is co-director of the Houston Youth Harp Ensemble, which she co-founded in 2018. She is also on the faculty of Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, where she teaches middle and high school harp students every summer. From 2016–2018, Stephanie was a Young Artist with Da Camera of Houston, which awarded her a grant to develop a music program to help combat school bullying. She also maintains an active private teaching studio for students of all ages in Houston.

    In 2018, Stephanie was named the News Editor of Harp Column, a bi–monthly print publication serving the international harp community, where she writes on auditions, competitions, and album releases.