SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Minimum 8th Grade - 12th Grade
Rehearsals: 4:00 - 6:30 Pm
Conductor and Director, Kevin Garza

The Symphony orchestra is a full orchestra for  advanced/ intermediate orchestra students in High school and select middle school students. This orchestra is a great training orchestra for students who are on their way to becoming fully accomplished all region or all state selectees.  This will help them gain the experience and confidence to progress into the high demands of the Young Artist Orchestra. The Symphony will learn major symphonic works and will perform 4 concerts per season. 

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ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Kevin Garza, Director and Conductor, Symphony Orchestra 

​Kevin Garza is the Director of Orchestras at Williams High School in Plano ISD. He holds a B.M. in composition from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, and a M.M. in orchestral conducting from Southern Methodist University. He studied conducting with Paul Phillips as the Assistant Conductor of the Meadows Symphony Orchestra, trombone with Carl Lenthe, piano with Alfred Mouledous, and composition with Elliott Bark, Don Freund, and Aaron Travers.
As a conductor, Mr. Garza was selected to be a conducting fellow at the Pacific Northwest Conducting Institute in 2018. In the spring of 2021, Mr. Garza served as the Interim Conductor for the East Texas Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. In their 2023-2024 season, he joined the Greater North Texas Youth Orchestra as their new Symphony Orchestra conductor.
For three years, Mr. Garza was heavily involved with the New Albany High School Band Program, both as a teacher and composer. He was also active as a trombonist, performing as a member of the Louisville Winds and Brass Band of Louisville, the latter in which he performed as a soloist. Mr. Garza continued to teach low brass both in southern Indiana and later in Dallas, where for a few years he gave masterclasses and clinics to a handful of school districts in addition to maintaining a private lesson studio in Forney and Mesquite. He has also been a faculty member at the Rockwall School of Music.
In his current work at Williams, Mr. Garza conducts three string orchestras and a full symphony orchestra comprised of students with 4 to 5 years of experience. The orchestra program earned a sweepstakes at UIL Contest in 2022 and 2023 under his direction.
When not poring over scores or chattering on about Bach, Mr. Garza enjoys cooking, coffee, reading, and visiting friends and family.

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