Middle School Orchestra
Joel powell
Joel Powell is an accomplished conductor and music educator, currently serving as the Associate Director of Orchestras and Director of String Activities at Avon High School in Avon, IN. Known for his dynamic approach to music education, Mr. Powell is a national leader in string pedagogy and orchestral education. His innovative teaching methods and commitment to excellence have earned him recognition as a transformative figure in both the classroom and the broader music education community.
Mr. Powell’s ensembles have consistently earned international recognition and honors. Under his baton, two of his orchestras have been invited to perform at the prestigious Midwest Clinic Band and Orchestra Conference. The Avon High School Symphony Orchestra is also a four-time Indiana state orchestra champion (2025, 2022, 2019, 2018). Mr. Powell’s ensembles have been featured in The Instrumentalist, a leading music education magazine. Recognized for his outstanding contributions to music education, he was named the 2019 Orchestra Teacher of the Year by the Indiana chapter of the American String Teachers Association.
As a highly sought-after clinician, conductor, and adjudicator, Mr. Powell regularly conducts all-state, honor, and regional orchestras across the United States. He also leads professional development workshops for music educators nationwide, embracing the digital age with innovative methods. Through his online platform, including his YouTube channel Joel Powell, Conductor, he reaches a global audience, sharing insights, string teaching techniques, and educational resources. Additionally, he has also been a featured speaker at the Midwest Clinic Band and Orchestra Conference, offering insights into developing an exceptional orchestra curriculum.
Mr. Powell earned his Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Music Education, graduating magna cum laude, and his Master of Arts from Ball State University. He studied conducting with Kirk Trevor and Bohuslav Rattay and has participated in master classes with Kevin Noe.
Beginning his career at Goshen Community Schools in Goshen, IN, he taught high school and middle school orchestra. Mr. Powell later served as the Director of Orchestras at Carmel Middle School (Carmel, IN) and as a conductor for the Indianapolis Youth Orchestras (Indianapolis, IN).
Middle School Orchestra
david pope
David Pope serves as a Professor of Music Education at Baldwin Wallace University’s Conservatory of Performing Arts. He is also a senior conductor and camp director for the Baldwin Wallace University String Orchestra Camp and serves as a string clinician for Alfred Music. As an active adjudicator and clinician, he has conducted numerous all-state orchestras, regional honor orchestras, and served as a guest clinician for orchestra programs, university summer camps, and university music education programs across the United States. Prior to Baldwin Wallace, Dr. Pope taught middle and high orchestra in Tennessee, Florida, and Ohio. He also conducted the Camerata Orchestra at Case Western Reserve University, taught graduate string pedagogy courses at the VanderCook College of Music, and served as a conductor for the Sarasota (FL) and Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra programs. He also worked at Spoleto Festival USA and the Aspen Music Festival. Dr. Pope received his Bachelor's Degree and Ph.D. in Music Education from Florida State University and Master's Degree from the University of South Carolina.
Dr. Pope has presented string pedagogy clinics and his research at the European String Teachers Association’s (ESTA) International Congress, the American String Teacher Association’s (ASTA) National Conference, The Midwest Clinic, and numerous regional and state conferences. His work has also been published in the Journal of Research in Music Education, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, String Research Journal, Research Perspectives in Music Education, Missouri Journal of Research in Music Education, Music Educators Journal, American String Teacher, Florida Music Director, The Instrumentalist, ESTA Norway, Triad, and School Band & Orchestra. Dr. Pope currently serves as the Editor for The String Research Journal and as the President of the Ohio String Teachers Association (OSTA).
Dr. Pope was a co-editor for volume 4 of Teaching Music Through Performance in Orchestra and a co-author for Sound Orchestra. He also recently served as Chair for the ASTA National Conference (2020, 2021, 2023). Dr. Pope was named the 2022 Ohio String Teachers Association (OSTA) Collegiate Educator of the Year and was previously recognized by the Yale Symposium for Music in Schools with the 2015 Distinguished Music Educator Award. Dr. Pope was also awarded the 2021 Presidential Service Award and the 2020 Emerging String Researcher Award from the American String Teachers Association. He is a current member of the National Association for Music Education, American String Teachers Association, and the Ohio Music Educators Association.
9th & 10th Grade String Orchestra
Dr. frank m. diaz
Dr. Frank M. Diaz is Associate Professor of Music at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Before his appointment at IU, Dr. Diaz held appointments at the The University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance, the University of Oregon, and at school districts in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Florida. He is also former Music Director and Conductor of the Corvallis Youth Symphony in Corvallis, Oregon.
Dr. Diaz has served as a conductor, adjudicator, presenter, and clinician in over 35 states as well as internationally. Ensembles under his direction have performed at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, the National Association for Music Education, and at various conferences and honor festivals across the United States. At the university level, he has led orchestras at Indiana University, UMKC Conservatory, and Florida State University, and taught courses in instrumental music education, conducting, orchestral literature, and musicians’ wellness.
Dr. Diaz holds degrees in education, performance, and conducting from Florida State University and the University of South Florida and has been an active performer on trombone as well as electric and double bass in wind bands, orchestras, jazz ensembles, rock bands, Afro-Cuban ensembles, and various other groups throughout his career. He was born in Havana, Cuba and currently lives in Bloomington, Indiana with his wife, daughter, and three cats.
11th & 12th Grade String Orchestra
dr. selim giray
Dr. Selim Giray serves as Director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Mississippi, and as Vice Chair of National Orchestra Festival Committee of the American String Teachers Association. In 2024, Dr. Giray conducted the California High School All-State String Orchestra. Periodically, since 2023 Selim Giray has performed as cover conductor for the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Ballet Memphis. Previously, Giray served as Concertmaster and Assistant Conductor at the Ohio Light Opera. Giray is the co-author of Fundamentals of Instrumental and Choral Conducting (2025), and author of String Methods for Beginners (2020). Selim Giray served on ASTA National Board as Member-at-Large (2020–2023). He is featured on numerous CDs and on Naxos Online Library. Giray studied the violin with Eliot Chapo, former Concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, Fritz Gearhart; and conducting with Dr. William Intriligator, and Roman Skřepek.
9th & 10th Grade Full Orchestra
andrew gekoskie
Conductor Andrew Gekoskie, recognized for his distinguished career as a professional conductor and master teacher, holds the position of Music Director and Artistic Director of the Orchestra X Project - a professional orchestra based in South Florida, USA. His orchestra, featuring elite musicians from across the Southeast United States, showcase a remarkable versatility, presenting a repertoire that spans classical masterpieces and contemporary compositions to captivate South Florida audiences. A native of Pennsylvania, Gekoskie marked his Carnegie Hall debut in 2003 and has since been invited to guest conduct orchestras worldwide, including The Butler Symphony, The Utah All-State Philharmonic Orchestra, The Hartt Symphony, The Winchester Orchestra, The Susquehanna Symphony Orchestra, The Langley Symphony Orchestra, The Gardens Pops Orchestra, The Weiss Pops Orchestra, The Fairfax Wind Symphony, and The Minnesota Youth Orchestra, among others. Maestro Gekoskie has also, once again, been invited to return to Carnegie Hall with the New England Symphonic professional orchestra with a full 200 voice choir as part of MidAmerica’s 2026 season. His appearances on PBS's "Desert Island Disks" and various media outlets underscore his commitment to promoting the accessibility of classical music across age and economic backgrounds. As the visionary behind the Orchestra X Project, Andrew Gekoskie pioneers innovative concert experiences, blending traditional and non-traditional settings. A staunch advocate for new music, Gekoskie has championed numerous commissions, world premieres, and collaborations with acclaimed composers such as Arturo Rodriguez, Steven Bryant, John Mackey, and Richard Danielpour. In addition to his artistic endeavors, Gekoskie is deeply dedicated to music education. His initiatives have been spotlighted in School Band and Orchestra Magazine and presented at music education conferences and institutions throughout the United States and Europe. Andrew's ongoing commitment to expanding outreach programs, fostering community engagement, refining music interpretation and rehearsal techniques, while cultivating classical music appreciation underscores his mission to make classical music accessible to all. Continuing to create captivating musical experiences that transcend genres and eras, Gekoskie remains committed to interpreting compositions with insight and thoughtfulness. He actively listens, learns, and nurtures the orchestras and communities in which he participates. Maestro Gekoskie's mission centers on transforming every member of the ensemble and audience through the extraordinary power of music, aiming to inspire, uplift, educate, and entertain. Embracing collaboration at every level, he views music as a medium that embodies knowledge, innovation, individual effort, collective achievement, and opportunities for excellence, self-actualization, inclusion, and partnerships. Gekoskie acknowledges his deep connection and thanks for the influential mentors who have shaped his musical journey, including Stanley DeRusha, Vincent LaSelva, Craig Kirchhoff, Lukas Foss, Allan McMurray, Robert Cameron, and H. Robert Reynolds.
11th & 12th Grade Full Orchestra
Dr. tammy s. yi
Dr. Tammy S. Yi is a first-generation Korean American conductor and music education scholar whose artistry and scholarship are deeply rooted in the transformative power of music. Renowned for her unwavering commitment to artistic excellence and social transformation, Dr. Yi is a passionate advocate for social change through the performing arts, dedicating her career to inspiring and empowering young musicians worldwide.
Dr. Yi has been recognized for her exceptional artistry and visionary leadership by orchestras across the globe. Praised by renowned conductor Maestro Carlos Miguel Prieto for her “architectural precision” and emotionally compelling interpretations, Dr. Yi’s conducting style has been described as “incredibly powerful.” Her ability to unify diverse ensembles and deliver performances of profound structural and expressive integrity is a hallmark of her work. Her musical journey has been profoundly influenced by her mentorship with world-renowned Venezuelan conductors and educators from the El Sistema movement, an experience that has deeply shaped her commitment to socially conscious music-making and artistic excellence.
Dr. Yi’s extensive conducting career encompasses both professional and youth orchestras on a global scale, with notable engagements in South Korea, Thailand, South America, Europe, and throughout the United States. She has collaborated with acclaimed artists including Gustavo Dudamel, Ray Chen, Thomas Wilkins, Jessica Rivera, and Janet Jackson, among others. Her portfolio features conducting roles with El Sistema orchestras, the California, Florida, and Texas All-State Orchestras, as well as honor ensembles in Tennessee, New York, and Nevada. A frequent guest conductor and clinician, she is internationally respected for her expertise in both conducting and pedagogy, making regular appearances at leading music festivals, conservatories, and academic institutions.
Dr. Yi currently serves as the Conductor of the YOLA Institute Youth Symphony Orchestra, the flagship ensemble of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s El Sistema-inspired initiative founded by Gustavo Dudamel. In this role, she leads the orchestra and mentors young musicians while championing an orchestral training model that integrates artistic excellence with social impact. Beyond her conducting career, Dr. Yi is deeply committed to music education and supporting music teachers in the community. Her scholarly work, Culturally Responsive Pedagogies for the Orchestra: Untold Stories of Seating Oppression and the Uprise of Social Justice, challenges conventional norms and amplifies historically excluded voices within orchestral spaces. She is the Director of Music Education at Chapman University and serves on the faculty at the Colburn Conservatory of Music, further solidifying her leadership role in shaping the future of music performance and pedagogy. Dr. Yi stands at the forefront of a new generation of conductors—artists who blend technical mastery with a strong social consciousness, dedicated to shaping a more inclusive and resonant future for classical music.