Rehearsals labs provide observers an opportunity to watch and listen to well-known educator-conductors working with various types of ensembles in an open rehearsal setting. Attendees engage in a meaningful learning experience by observing rehearsal technicians prepare multiple styles of music. An important goal of these sessions is for directors to gain insight and develop pragmatic pedagogical skills that can be put into immediate applications at home with their own ensembles.
Karel Butz
- Biographical Information
Karel Butz is the Head Orchestra Director at Beckendorff Junior High School in Katy, Texas. He previously taught orchestra in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Houston, Texas) and Carmel Clay Schools (Carmel, Indiana) in addition to serving as adjunct violin faculty at Purdue University. His orchestras have performed at The Midwest Clinic and are consistent UIL Sweepstakes Winners, Texas Honor Orchestra State Finalists, and National Honor Orchestra Winners in the Foundation for Music Education Mark of Excellence Competition. He is a frequent guest conductor, lecturer, and clinician around the country.
His music is published by Musica Propria, Inc. and has been performed at several venues including The Midwest Clinic, Interlochen, Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute, All-State orchestras, South Africa’s Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, Indiana University String Academy, and the National Association for Music Education Eastern Division Conference. Mr. Butz is also a string pedagogy author for Oxford University Press.
Mr. Butz has performed in several orchestras, including the National Repertory Orchestra, National Orchestral Institute, and Spoleto Festival USA. He has served as associate instructor for string techniques and music theory at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. In addition, he taught violin for the Indiana University String Academy, Bands of America Summer Symposium Orchestra Division, and the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute.
Mr. Butz received both his Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music in violin with high distinction from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where his principal violin instructors were Nelli Shkolnikova and Mimi Zweig. He completed doctoral coursework in music education at Indiana University.