PLU Honor Orchestra for Strings
January 16-17, 2027
Mary Baker Russell Music Center | James Welsch, Director
The annual PLU Honor Orchestra for Strings brings together outstanding high school string players from across the country, offering them the opportunity to perform exceptional string orchestra literature under the direction of a nationally recognized guest conductor. Nominated by their high school orchestra directors, these young musicians gain valuable experience through two days of intensive rehearsals and sectionals with expert string clinicians, culminating in a final performance by the Honor Orchestra.
Benefits of Honor Orchestra Attending:
- Prestigious Venue: Perform in Lagerquist Hall, one of Washington’s most prestigious concert venues, providing an exceptional performance experience.
- Fellowship and Networking: Spend two enriching days with string players from across the region in a supportive, non-competitive environment.
- Expert Guidance: Work with a nationally recognized guest conductor through daily rehearsals, enhancing your musical skills and experience.
- Skill Development: Improve your technical abilities through daily sectionals and an optional master class with distinguished musicians.
- Affordable Participation: Enjoy a low entry fee, making this opportunity accessible.
- Performance Broadcast: Receive a live stream link to the final performance.
- Masterclass Participation: Up to 9 students will be selected for a public masterclass based on a recorded audition submitted by the registration deadline. Each selected student will receive 20 minutes of stage time, divided into 5 minutes for performing a solo excerpt and 15 minutes for feedback and guidance during the masterclass.
Important Dates:
- Nomination Deadline: November 13, 2026, 11:59 pm — Please check with each student concerning their availability prior to nominating.
- Registration, Audition, and Payment Deadline: January 8, 2027, 11:59 pm — There will be a non-refundable fee of $160 for each student musician participating in the Honor Orchestra for Strings. This fee includes dinner on Saturday and lunch on Sunday. Students will be asked to submit a recorded audition at the time of payment that will be used to determine seating for the ensemble.
- Check in and Seating Auditions: January 16, 2027, 12:00 pm
- PLUHO Final Performance: January 17, 2027, 6:00 pm
CONDUCTOR CLINICIAN
Dr. James O. Welsch is a conductor, educator, and musician whose career encompasses orchestral conducting, music education, composition, and artistic leadership. He currently serves as Director of Orchestral Studies at Pacific Lutheran University, Music Director of the Tacoma Youth Symphony Association, Music Director of the Kirkland Civic Orchestra, and Associate Conductor of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra.
At Pacific Lutheran University, Welsch leads the university’s orchestral program, working to create an environment in which students develop as accomplished musicians, thoughtful artists, and engaged members of a musical community. His work with young musicians has been a defining element of his career. As Music Director of TYSA, he leads one of the region’s prominent youth orchestra organizations, overseeing a comprehensive orchestral program serving hundreds of young musicians.
Prior to his work in the Pacific Northwest, Welsch served as Music Director and Symphonic Orchestra Conductor of the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras, while also teaching at Stetson University and serving as Visiting Professor of Music and Director of Orchestras at the University of Central Florida. Earlier, he spent several years in El Paso as Associate Conductor of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra and Music Director and General Manager of the El Paso Symphony Youth Orchestras.
Welsch’s career in higher education began at the Setnor School of Music at Syracuse University, where following completion of his master’s degree, he served for five years as Assistant Professor of Music Theory, Composition, and Conducting. There he taught undergraduate and graduate courses, conducted orchestras and ensembles, directed fully staged opera productions, advised students, and participated extensively in recruitment and university service. He was honored as the school’s Outstanding Music Faculty Member in 2008.
Welsch is also the founding Music Director and Principal Conductor of Orquesta Filarmónica Juvenil México-USA “The Bridge,” a binational youth orchestra bringing together young musicians from Ciudad Juárez and El Paso. The initiative reflects his longstanding belief in music’s ability to create meaningful connections across cultural and geographic boundaries and has received recognition in both Mexico and the United States, including from Yo-Yo Ma.
As a conductor, Welsch is committed to both the established orchestral canon and the discovery of works by underrepresented and overlooked composers. His programming frequently explores connections between music, history, culture, and the human experience. He is an active guest conductor, adjudicator, clinician, masterclass teacher, composer, and arranger.
Welsch earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in orchestral conducting from The University of Texas at Austin, studying with Gerhardt Zimmermann. He holds a Master of Music in orchestral conducting from Syracuse University and a Bachelor’s degree in theory and composition from Stetson University. His conducting studies have included work with Jorma Panula, Raffi Armenian, James Croft, Timothy Reynish, Kevin Noe, Joseph Kreines, and others. His composition teachers have included Kari Juusela, Sydney Hodkinson, Daniel Godfrey, and Joseph Kreines.
A French horn player by training, Welsch remains deeply engaged with music-making from both sides of the podium. At the heart of his work is a belief that orchestras are not simply vehicles for performing great music, but communities in which musicians learn to listen, collaborate, imagine, and create something larger than themselves.
Nominations:
High school directors or youth symphony directors, please use the link provided below to nominate and recommend your outstanding students to participate in the PLU Honor Orchestra for Strings. There is a participant fee of $160 for each student participating in the Honor Orchestra.
- The window for Nomination Forms will open on September 5, 2026 at 8:00 am.
- Nomination deadline: November 13, 2026, 11:59 pm
Notification of Results:
High school directors will receive notifications of selected students accepted by December 4, 2026.
Registration:
Honor Orchestra Registration will be made available following the designated nomination period.
Once nominations have been reviewed, participants will be notified of acceptance via email and provided access to the online Registration form. Once received, please complete registration and payment using the link provided by the deadline. Each student must register on their own even if the payment is going through the school.
- Participant fee: $160 (non-refundable)
- Payment Deadline: January 8, 2027, 11:59 pm
Please note that no refunds will be allowed after registration has been completed, and no registration or payment will be accepted following the deadline of January 8, 2027.
Performance Attire:
For the final performance, students should plan on wearing standard black concert attire that they would normally wear for school performances. Aside from the concerts, casual dress is appropriate.
Music and Audition Material:
For the 2027 Honor Orchestra, there will be no in-person auditions. This year marks the first time the Honor Orchestra has used a recorded audition process.
Audition recordings are required as part of the application process and will be used to determine seating for the Honor Orchestra.
Applicants must submit a recording of all required audition excerpts with their application and payment. Recordings may be submitted by uploading a video directly through the application or by providing an unlisted YouTube, Vimeo, or comparable video link.
If technical circumstances prevent you from submitting a recording with your application, the recording must be submitted no later than the application deadline of January 8, 2027. Recordings submitted separately should be sent to Dr. James Welsch, Conductor, PLU Symphony Orchestra, at jowelsch@plu.edu.
The audition excerpts are drawn from the Honor Orchestra repertoire, with required passages bracketed in each part. All assigned excerpts should be prepared in their entirety. The program and individual parts can be found below.
Schedule:
A detailed schedule can be found by clicking on this link.
The two-day event culminates in a public performance in the Lagerquist Concert Hall in the Mary Baker Russell Music Center. To watch the live stream performance, please click on this link. Admission is free and no tickets are required.
More Information:
Performance
PLU Honor Orchestra for Strings
January 17, 2027 at 6:00 pm
Lagerquist Concert Hall
Mary Baker Russell Music Center
For Questions:
Dr. James Welsch, Conductor, PLU Symphony Orchestra
School of Music, Theatre & Dance; Pacific Lutheran University
e-mail: jowelsch@plu.edu
Abby Deskins, Coordinator of Educational Outreach Programs
College of Professional Studies; Pacific Lutheran University
(253) 535-7877 e-mail: adeskins@plu.edu
School of Music, Theatre & Dance
Mary Baker Russell Music Center
(253) 535-7602 e-mail: music@plu.edu
Music at PLU Additional Information:
School of Music, Theatre & Dance
Music participation and study is open to all students at PLU, regardless of major.
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