Classical Movements, Inc.

Jacques Vallerand Parisi, Chairman of the Board
The Chairman of the Board and co-owner of Classical Movements/Blue Heart Tours, Jacques Vallerand Parisi has traveled to more than 65 countries. Before he started this company, Jacques worked with major hotel chains and was General Manager of several fine hotels all over USA. He speaks fluent French and English, and holds a Masters in Hotel Administration from L'Ecole de Hoteliere de Lausanne. Jacques was born in France, and has also served two years with the US Navy in Vietnam. Jacques is an avid Redskins fan, a great history and military buff, and his greatest pride and joy comes from his two boys, Remy and Maxim.

Neeta Helms, President  [email]
Neeta Helms, the co-owner of Classical Movements/Blue Heart Tours, has traveled to over 58 countries. She is an avid singer, having sung in choirs for years, and also plays piano and guitar. She speaks excellent English and Hindi, as well as basic German. Born in India, Neeta holds a BA in Economics and an MBA specializing in both Marketing and Finance. Before Classical Movements, Neeta held senior, international sales and marketing positions with a deluxe chain of hotels. Her greatest passion is to spend time with her two boys Remy and Maxim and apart from travel and friends, she loves reading and music, spending time in her garden, discussing politics, or doing puzzles.

Tanya Lervik, General Manager  [email]
Tanya Lervik has been with Classical Movements since 1997. Having lived as an exchange student for a year in France and for two months in China, she speaks good French and basic Chinese. Tanya has traveled extensively with our orchestra and choir clients within the US as well as to Europe, China and Japan on numerous tours. She is experienced coordinating and facilitating travel arrangements for groups ranging in size from 30 to 170 people. Tanya enjoys antiques and choral singing, and holds a BA in French and an MBA in International Management.

Jeen Fedelich, Senior Tour Manager  [email]
Jeen Fedelich has toured most of the major orchestras over the last 25 years including the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony, and numerous others. She is one of the most highly-respected tour directors in the field. She speaks fluent English, French and Spanish as well as basic Portuguese. French born, Jeen tours exclusively for Classical Movements 150 days each year. Jeen has a fine collection of art and books and is an expert on herbal medicines.

Page La Fountain, Senior Operations Manager  [email]
Page La Fountain graduated from New York University with a Masters in International Education; her undergraduate degree was in Marketing from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Page has lived and worked in a variety of foreign countries including Australia, Japan, France and England. Ms. La Fountain speaks French and is learning Spanish. Her professional experience includes working as an educational tour director in Europe, an operations manager planning corporate events in Washington, DC, and a meetings coordinator for a California conference center. Page's goal is to promote international goodwill and understanding through music.

Zhongjie Shi, Operations Manager  [email]
Born in China, Zhongjie has received a BA degree in English Literature and Art from Jilin University, one of the top Universities in China. Her work in the travel industry in China makes Zhongjie's contribution an excellent resource for Classical Movement's current and future business with one of the most dynamic countries in the world. Zhongjie's professional history includes working for one of the top three national travel companies, CYTS, for 15 years while focusing on cultural exchanges and performing groups for 6 years as a Senior Product Manager for the North American market. Zhongjie's experience brings superior knowledge and expertise of both travel and performing in China. She loves cooking and often creates something new with her lovely daughter to enjoy with family and friends on holidays and the weekends.

Nathanael Ferguson, Operations Manager  [email]
Nathanael Ferguson joined us in June 2006. Nathanael has many years experience planning and managing operations for group trips in the United States and abroad. Working for several years at a nonprofit organization, Nathanael set up outreach and adventure trips on six continents for groups ranging in size from 15 to 700 participants. In addition to setup experience, Nathanael has managed on-site logistics for groups as large as 1500 people. Over the years Nathanael has led group trips to South Africa, Hong Kong, China, Panama, Jamaica, Washington DC, New York City, and a host of other locations around the world. Nathanael holds a Bachelor's Degree in History from the University of Texas and enjoys travel, outdoor adventure, sports, friends, and the solitude of a good book.

Alessandra D'Ovidio, Operations Manager  [email]
Alessandra D'Ovidio is an experienced concert producer, costume designer, and marketing consultant and joined us in March 2007. She has worked as production manager and resident costume designer at GALA Hispanic Theatre. She has served as a curator for ArteAmerica with the Washington Performing Arts Society, as a producer for "Encuentros" in the Smithsonian Institution at the Museum of American History, and has served as a Marketing and Public Relations specialist for the Kennedy Center AmericArtes festival. Alessandra has been designing costumes in the Washington Metropolitan area and was a 2002 Helen Hayes nominee for her design for La verdad sospechosa and received a prior nomination in 2000 for her work in La dama boba. She holds a bachelor degree in Fashion and Costume Design from the Accademia di Costume e Moda, in Rome, Italy. Alessandra has been involved for several years in many arts projects in the Washington area, specifically within the Latin American community, and is known for her ability to bring people together for the benefit of the arts community. She is an expert on Latin American arts and culture.

Jayci Thomas, Operations Manager  [email]
Jayci Thomas joined us in July 2007. Jayci comes to us with a Bachelors Degree in Performing Arts, specializing in dance and vocal performance. She has performed in many locations around the United States as well as internationally, traveling to over 20 countries. Jayci has many years experience planning and managing operations for group trips in the United States and abroad. While working at a nonprofit organization, Jayci set up trips for groups traveling to over 15 countries. In addition to this experience, Jayci has managed on-site logistics and was a tour guide for groups as large as 120 people, leading groups on historical trips to Washington DC, New York City, Philadelphia, and several other locations around the US. Jayci enjoys travel, photography, spending time with family and friends, and being crafty with yarn and fabric.

Sara Shea, Executive Assistant  [email]
Sara Shea joined us in June 2006. Her past marketing and sales experience includes organizing over 150 national trade show exhibits for an arts & crafts and sporting goods company in the education, recreation and healthcare markets. Sara organizes the office, provides support to our team and serves as the first point of contact. She loves to create our custom tour proposals. Her interest in travel and music was sparked early on while studying music education at the Hartt School, which provided a natural transition to a career in the travel industry. Sara plays the Alto Saxophone and many other woodwind instruments. In her free time, Sara enjoys time with her family and friends as well as collecting postcards from all over the world.

Frank Stubbs, Special Consultant, Performing Arts Tour Development  [email]
Frank Stubbs brings over thirty years of experience as a performing arts administrator, conductor and educator to the team of Classical Movements. He served as general manager of VocalEssence (founded as Plymouth Music Series) for over 10 years. Frank was on the faculty of Purdue University for 13 years, where he conducted the Purdue Symphony Orchestra and was Director of Bands and Orchestras. While at Purdue, he was elected president of the Big Ten Band Directors Association. He is a member of the board of Chorus America, has served as Vice-President of ChoralNet, Treasurer of the Sixth World Symposium on Choral Music, and was a founding officer of the Indiana Orchestra Consortium. From 2004-2007 Frank was executive director of Lutheran Summer Music Academy and Festival.

Gail Melick, Consultant
Gail Melick joined Classical Movements/Blue Heart Tours soon after retiring from his position as Chief Operating Officer of a bank. He has also served in the Vatican Arts Council and the Nixon Economic commission. He serves as an advisor and consultant to the company and also does sales and site visits for the company. Based out of the Chicago area, he holds a Masters in Economics and Banking. He is an expert on fine wines and mushrooms, is a great humanitarian and has traveled to at least 80 countries.

Dr. Marilyn Brown, International Travel Consultant
Dr. Marilyn Brown joined Classical Movements/Blue Heart Tours in our sales department, after retiring from her position as Deputy Superintendent of the entire DC Public School System. A world traveler, Marilyn holds numerous degrees, honors and awards. She serves on the board of many of Washington's most famous institutions.