Honor Orchestra

January 19 & 20, 2019 Honor Orchestra

Pacific Lutheran University
Department of Music
PLU Honor Orchestra for Strings

Following the success of another annual event here at PLU, the Northwest Honor Band, we have created a similar opportunity just for string players with the PLU Honor Orchestra for Strings. It is a two-day festival held annually over a weekend in January, offering individual high school string players from throughout the region the opportunity to perform excellent literature for string orchestra with a nationally recognized guest conductor. Please recommend your outstanding student musicians for participation. Each nominating organization is guaranteed participation in the Honor Orchestra for Strings if the nomination form is received by the DEADLINE: November 1.

Fee: There will be a $95.00 NON-REFUNDABLE fee for each student musician participating in the Honor Orchestra for Strings. This fee includes dinner on Saturday and lunch on Sunday. This fee is due January 14, 2019.

Robert Gillespie

Robert Gillespie, violinist and professor of music, is Chair of Music Education at Ohio State University where he is responsible for string teacher training. Ohio State has one of the largest and most extensive string pedagogy degree programs in the nation. Under Dr. Gillespie’s leadership, Ohio State University received the 2015 Institutional String Education Award as the premier string education university in the country. Dr. Gillespie is a past national President of the American String Teachers Association. He is a frequent guest conductor of All-State, region, and festival orchestras. Dr. Gillespie has appeared in 47 states, Canada, Asia, and throughout Europe. He is co-author of the Hal Leonard string method book series, Essential Elements for Strings, the leading string instrument teaching series in the country with sales of over nine million copies. Also he is co-author of the college text Strategies for Teaching Strings: Building A Successful School Orchestra Program, the String Clinics to Go DVD series, and the Teaching Music Through Performance in Orchestra texts for GIA publications. He received the Distinguished Scholar award for 2002-2003 in the School of Music at Ohio State University. In summers, Gillespie directs the OSU String Teacher Workshop, the largest string/orchestra teacher-training workshop in the country. In Columbus, he conducts the Columbus Symphony Chamber Strings Youth Orchestra. He is a performing violinist in the Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra. During the 2017-2018 academic year, Gillespie  gave string pedagogy and research presentations, and conducted orchestra performances in Ohio, Maine, Louisiana, Virginia, Georgia, Maryland, Alabama, Missouri, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Florida, and Oregon. In the 2018-2019 he once again will be working with students and teachers throughout the United States, including a weeklong professional residency in Switzerland. In addition, he will be conducting concerts in LA’s Walt Disney Concert Hall and Chicago’s Orchestra Hall.

Audition Requirements:

Seating will be determined by audition on January 19 just before the first rehearsal. The audition material will be chosen from the repertoire for the orchestra.

How to Get Involved:

Acceptance in the PLU Honor Orchestra for Strings:

Nomination by a high school or youth symphony director, evidenced by the nomination form. Click here to make nominations: Director’s Nomination Form

Seating will be determined by audition on January 19 just before the first rehearsal. The audition material will be chosen from the repertoire for the orchestra.

Important Dates:

• November 1: Nominations due
• December 17: Notification of acceptance will be sent to the nominees and their directors.
• January 14: Registration and non-refundable fees are due.
• January 19: Seating auditions – an audition will determine the principal players in each section and seating placement.

General PLU Honor Orchestra for Strings

PARTICIPANT INFORMATION

Important Dates:

November 1: High school directors’ nomination deadline

December 17: Notification of acceptance will be sent to the nominees and their directors.

January 14: Registration and non-refundable fees are due.

January 19: Seating will be determined by audition just before the first rehearsal. The audition material will be chosen from the repertoire for the orchestra.

• General information
• Directions to PLU
• List of hotels near PLU
• Honor Orchestra Schedule
• Honor Orchestra Registration Form

Participant fees: $95 (non-refundable)

Concert CD: $20

Confirmation and Acceptance: Please complete the registration form above, print it, and mail it with your remittance to PLU by January 14. NOTE: To achieve appropriate instrumentation, it is extremely important to notify PLU if a student is not able to attend.