Dr. Brian Bersh is a National Board-certified educator with experience teaching in early childhood, elementary, and secondary classrooms. During his time with Arlington Public Schools, Virginia, Dr. Bersh has served as the County Lead Teacher for Instrumental Instruction at the Secondary (2017-2021) and Elementary Levels (2021-2022). During his tenure as Yorktown High School's Music Department Chair (2011-2021), the music department received the Blue Ribbon Award by VMEA, was named a GRAMMY Signature Schools semi-finalist by the GRAMMY Foundation, and received a SupportMusic Merit Award for outstanding commitment to music education from The NAMM Foundation . The Yorktown Band was also named a Virginia Honor Band by VBODA.

While at Yorktown, Dr. Bersh was the director of the Yorktown Marching Patriots and conductor of the Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Symphonic Winds, Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Combo and Big Band Jazz Ensemble. He oversaw Yorktown's Indoor and Chamber programs, was the faculty advisor for United Sound and the Tri-M Music Honor Society and taught AP Music Theory and Song Writing, Digital Audio, and Music Theory. Since 2021, Dr. Bersh has directed the Williamsburg Middle School Jazz Band and taught Band and Orchestra for Taylor and Jamestown Elementary Schools.

Dr. Bersh has been named to the Conn-Selmer VIP Program (2018) and recognized as Yorktown High School's Teacher of the Year (2016). He has received the AAUW Elizabeth Campbell Award for Notable Achievement in the Arts (2016), a Virginia Commonwealth University Impact Award (2014), and a Citation of Excellence from the National Band Association for an outstanding contribution to bands and band music (2015). Most recently (2021) Dr. Bersh was the Top Prize recipient of the The Mockingbird Foundation's DeLucia Award, in recognition of demonstrated passion for music education, teaching in an exceptional, innovative manner, and substantially impacting the community.

Additional career highlights have included serving as the first host of the Jazz at Lincoln Center's Essentially Ellington Regional High School Jazz Band Festival for the D.C. Metro area, and premiering two commissions with the Yorktown Symphonic Band, including Yorktown's first-ever commission: a composition premiered with the U.S. Army Brass Quintet and made possible through funding received through a Wolf Trap Grant for High School Performing Arts Teachers. The Yorktown Symphonic Band and Percussion Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Bersh, performed (2015 & 2019) in the Music For All National Concert Band and Sandy Feldstein National Percussion Festival. The Foundation for Music Education recognized the Symphonic Band and Big Band Jazz Ensemble as Virginia State Winners (2016) in their National Band and Jazz Honors Competition. Ensembles under Dr. Bersh's direction have performed in Indianapolis, New York City, Boston, Nashville, Orlando, South Carolina, the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, Colonnade Performance at the Virginia Professional Development Conference, Nationals Park, the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, and Blues Alley's Big Band Jam.

Dr. Bersh holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership; a Master of Music Teaching, Specialization: General Music K-12; a Bachelor of Music Education and a Minor in Jazz Studies. Currently, he is completing an Executive Graduate Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship, Cultural Agency, Community Development, Organization Management, Design Thinking & Education Leadership as a member of the prestigious Global Leaders Program.

Dr. Bersh has performed in the Bastad Chamber Music Festival, Bastad, Sweden; the Tam Tam Percussion Festival, Netanya, Israel; the Caribbean Culture Pan Festival, Dortmund, Germany; and in venues across Beijing and Shanghai, China. In addition, he has presented music education research at international venues, including the Research in Music Education Conference in Exeter, England; the Music in Schools and Teacher Education Commission sponsored by the International Society for Music Education, in Shenyang, China; and the International Symposium on the Sociology of Music Education, East Lansing, Michigan. Most recently, his work has been published in the peer-reviewed journal, Psychology of Music, and in the texts, Engaging Musical Practices: A Sourcebook for Instrumental Music, and Engaging Musical Practices: A Sourcebook for Middle School General Music.