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Elijah Wirth

Occupation: Co-founder and conductor of the Westminster Symphony Orchestra, conductor of the Frederick Regional Youth Orchestra, director of Carroll Community College's music department, tuba instructor at McDaniel College. He also plays bass guitar in two local rock bands and is a freelance tuba player.

In the news: For the past year, Wirth has spearheaded the community college's collaboration with McDaniel's music department to create a community orchestra that draws talent from both colleges, local high schools and area residents. McDaniel's music department director contacted Wirth last year with the idea of combining their resources and inviting musicians throughout the community to join them. The orchestra performed its inaugural concert last week.

Career highlights: Wirth taught for a year at Deer Park Middle Magnet School in Randallstown before joining the community college's adjunct staff in 2003. Last year, he became the community college's music director, and he is developing the college's music degree program.

Personal: Wirth, 27, was born in Huntington, N.Y. He moved to Baltimore in 1995 to study at the Peabody Institute, where he earned his bachelor's degree in tuba performance in 1999 and master's degrees in conducting and education in 2002. He lives in Federal Hill.

Philosophy: "The more you give, the more you get in return."