Lexington High School Chamber Orchestra

Performer Details

Performer Bio Synopsis

The Lexington High School Chamber Orchestra is the most elite, audition-only, honors-level string ensemble at Lexington High School, a public school in Lexington, MA. It has consistently received gold medals at the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association Concert Festival and has performed at prestigious venues including Symphony Hall in Boston and Lincoln Center in New York City. Under the direction of Mx. Rachel Jayson, the ensemble has workshopped and premiered several commissioned original works including "Trinity" (Michael Veloso, 2017), "Kendrick" (Sxip Shirey, 2020/2025), "Lexington Reel" (Andy Reiner, 2024), and "Melting Pot" (Dr. Roger Zare, 2024). In March, the ensemble was crowned the 2025 Grand Champion Ensemble at the National Orchestra Cup (the first New England ensemble to win in the competition’s 20+ year history, and Mx. Jayson the first black woman conductor to lead a winning ensemble). In 2023, Mx. Jayson and the LHS Chamber Orchestra earned a Superior rating (highest possible) at the American String Teachers’ Association 2023 National Orchestra Festival and placed third in the nation overall for high school string orchestra ensemble; in spring 2024, the group again earned a superior rating and was received second place in the nation! The ensemble has been praised for its musical versatility and exciting diversity of repertoire. Find the ensemble on instagram @lhschamberorchestra

Lexington High School Chamber Orchestra

Conductor's Bio

Rachel Jayson is a Boston-area violist, conductor, and music educator. As a violist, they are a member of Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys, an avant-garde rock band, as well as a founding member of New England Film Orchestra. She also performs regularly with Tapestry and Zili Misik. As a conductor, Mx. Jayson has led her orchestras to numerous honors including gold medals at state festivals and superior ratings at ASTA National Orchestra Festival, and winning the 2025 National Orchestra Cup Competition. She has commissioned and premiered several new works for her orchestras collaborating with local artists as well as nationally renowned composers. Under her baton, her ensembles have performed at prestigious venues including Symphony Hall (Boston, MA) and Lincoln Center (New York, NY). As a guest conductor she has worked with New England Film Orchestra, the 2018 MMEA Eastern Junior District Honors Orchestra, and the 2023 MMEA Central Junior District Honors Orchestra. Since 2009, Rachel has cultivated musical excellence as an orchestra director and music educator for Lexington Public Schools- the first African American in the history of the performing arts department. She has taught at all levels but has constantly taught at Lexington High school where she currently conducts two award-winning orchestras, as well as teaching an array of other courses including AP Music Theory, and a pop music listening/appreciation class for which she developed the curriculum, called “Mixtape Anatomy”. Mx. Jayson is a 2024 Diverse String Teacher Fellow for the Foundation for the Advancement of String Education . She holds Bachelor’s of Viola Performance and a Master’s of Music (Music Education) from Boston Conservatory at Berklee. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys making her own clothing, reading, and gardening. Rachel has been featured in the 2018 issue of STAGES, as a guest on Amanda Palmer's podcast The Art of Asking Everything, and profiled because of her unique aesthetic has been in DapperQ and Boston Magazine. They can be found online at [email protected] or everywhere else on the internet @musykchyk.