Performer Details
Performer Bio Synopsis
Katy Independent School District is a flourishing suburban school district located approximately 20 miles west of Houston. The district encompasses 181 square miles over three counties including Harris, Fort Bend, and Waller. Katy ISD is one of the fastest-growing districts in the state and currently serves over 80,000 students in 65 schools. The district has had the honor of receiving the “Best Communities for Music Education” designation from the National Association of Music Merchants for the past 18 years.
Seven Lakes Junior High serves over 1,500 students in grades six through eight. Seven Lakes is located in a growing and diverse community in southwest Katy, and there are 44 nationalities represented on the campus. The school opened in 2012 and has since established a strong tradition of excellence in fine arts, athletics, and academics. Seven Lakes Junior High has been recognized as a Texas School to Watch, Niche Best Schools, and as a Children at Risk Top Performing School.
The Seven Lakes Junior High Spartan Orchestra is 260 members large, with five performing orchestras in addition to the First Year Orchestra for beginning players. The orchestras are consistently successful in the Katy ISD Solo and Ensemble Contest, TMEA All-Region Orchestra, University Interscholastic League Concert and Sight-Reading Contest, and other festivals around the state.
The Spartan Orchestra students are brilliant and spirited, often involved in a multitude of activities outside of music. Many participate in piano lessons, choir, Science Olympiad, tennis, volleyball, basketball, track and field, football, theatre arts, National Junior Honor Society, and Spartan Round Table. The Chamber Orchestra has been recognized as an Invited Ensemble at the 2018 Music for All National Festival, a National Winner in the 2021 and 2022 Mark of Excellence, and the Grand National Champion at the 2022 ASTA National Orchestra Festival.
Seven Lakes Junior High Chamber Orchestra
Conductor's Bio
Jennifer Gingell has been teaching in public education for thirteen years in the Greater Houston area and is currently serving her sixth year as the Seven Lakes Junior High Director of Orchestras. Mrs. Gingell earned a Bachelor in Music Education with a Focus in Cello at Loyola University New Orleans, under the tutelage of Dean Angeles and Allen Nisbit. Studying under Dr. Robert Gillespie and Mark Rudoff at The Ohio State University, she earned a Master of Arts in String Pedagogy. Mrs. Gingell maintains memberships with the Texas Music Education Association, Texas Orchestra Directors Association, American String Teachers Association, and Texas Music Adjudicators Association.
Under her direction, her orchestras have consistently grown not only in number but also in quality. Her ensembles have received Superior ratings and Best in Class distinctions at the University Interscholastic League Concert and Sight-Reading Evaluation, the Ann C. Roberts Orchestra Festival, the Director’s Choice Showcase of Music, and the Solo and Ensemble Contest. Accolades received by the Seven Lakes Junior High Chamber Orchestra include: 2019, Music for All Invited Ensemble; 2021, Mark of Excellence National Winner; 2022, ASTA National Orchestra Festival Invited Ensemble and Grand National Champion.
Outside of music, Mrs. Gingell is an award-winning costume craftsman, panelist, and competition judge. She lives in Katy, Texas with her husband Jonathan, her two children Oliver and Charlotte, and her dog Harvey.
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