Time:
Thursday
December, 17, 2015
04:30 PM - 05:15 PM
Location:
W190
Category
MIDDLE SCHOOL ORCHESTRAS
Performer Details
Performer Bio Synopsis
The Beckendorff Junior High School (Katy, TX) orchestral program was established in 2004. The current directors are Karel Butz (Head Orchestra Director) and Beth El Gomez (Assistant Orchestra Director).
The Beckendorff Orchestras have earned prestigious honors at the state and international level that include being named the 2012 TMEA Honor Full Orchestra, performing at the 2011 Midwest Clinic in Chicago (full orchestra), being named a three time National Honor Orchestra Winner (most recently in 2015), and winning 40 Consecutive UIL Sweepstakes Awards. Beckendorff remains a regular State Finalist in the TMEA Honor Orchestra competition (most recently winning Runner-Up in 2016). The Honor Orchestra will perform at the 2015 Midwest Clinic.
The 200+ Beckendorff orchestra members are divided among six ability-based orchestras. Beginners (First Year Orchestra) are taught in homogenous classes while ensemble skills are built in the more advanced level orchestras which include the Camerata, Philharmonia, Sinfonia, Honor and Symphony (full orchestra). Students participate in Solo & Ensemble Contest, All-Region Honor Orchestra, and several festivals throughout the year.
Beckendorff Junior High School Honor Orchestra
Conductor's Bio
Karel Butz is the Head Orchestra Director at Beckendorff Junior High 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 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.
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.
His music is published by Musica Propria, Inc. and has been performed at several venues including the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, South Africa's Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute, Kentucky All-State Orchestra, 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 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.
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