Conductor Bios
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL GUEST CONDUCTOR
Bob Gillespie, Professor of Music, is responsible for string teacher training at The Ohio State University, which has one of the largest and most extensive string pedagogy degree programs in the nation. Degree programs in string teaching at OSU include undergraduate, masters, and Ph.D. programs, with many of his graduating students teaching in school systems and universities throughout the country. He received the Distinguished Scholar award given by his faculty colleagues in 2002-2003 in the School of Music at Ohio State University.
Dr. Gillespie is a past national President of the American String Teachers Association. He is a frequent guest conductor of all-state, regional, and festival orchestras throughout the country and Europe, and he has presented string teacher sessions, workshops, and conducted concerts at national and state music educator conferences in forty-four states and Canada. His string education articles appear frequently in all the major music journals. He is co-author of the Hal Leonard string method book series, Essential Elements for Strings, Essential Elements 2000 for Strings, which has sold over four million copies to date, and Getting Started: Strolling Strings for MENC. He is also co-author of the Oxford University Press book: Strategies for Teaching Strings: Building A Successful School Orchestra Program. He is co-author of the String Clinics to Go DVD series and the Teaching Music Through Performance in Orchestra texts for GIA publications.
Dr. Gillespie is also an active researcher, serving as a member of the editorial committee of the Journal of Research in Music Education. Much of his study focuses on string pedagogy and the national status of school string programs in America. During the 2009-2010 academic year Dr. Gillespie gave string pedagogy and research presentations in California at the 2010 National ASTA Conference, MEA conferences in Alaska, Ohio, and Florida, as well as presenting workshops in Texas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Washington, South Dakota, New York, Minnesota, Missouri, and Connecticut.
In summers, Dr. Gillespie directs the OSU String Teacher Workshop and the OSU Texas String Teacher Workshop, the largest string/orchestra teacher training workshops in the country. Dr. Gillespie is a string education teaching artist and clinician for the Conn-Selmer Corporation. He is past president of the Ohio String Teachers Association. In Columbus, he conducts the Columbus Symphony Chamber Strings, and is a performing violinist in the Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra.
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL GUEST CONDUCTOR
Bonnie Glazier has been the High School Orchestra Director and String Specialist for The Monroe-Woodbury Central School District in Orange County, New York since 1996, where she directs the award winning Chamber Orchestra and Freshman Orchestra as well as teaching group string lessons and chamber music. Ms. Glazier’s ensembles perform annually at NYSSMA evaluation festivals where both of her ensembles have consistently received Gold with Distinction ratings. She has worked to build the secondary string program which has grown from 58 high school string orchestra students in 1996 to presently 230 high school string orchestra students.
Ms. Glazier is an active NYSSMA All-State String Adjudicator, string clinician and guest conductor at state wide and regional music festivals and conferences. As a Cellist she performs as a freelance musician for private events and has been a member of the Newburgh Symphony. Additionally she is privileged to be the NYSSMA Representative for the Zone 9 Western Hudson Valley and Catskill regions where she presides over all NYSSMA sponsored festivals.
Ms. Glazier attended the Hartt School of Music where she received The Bachelor of Music and Masters Degree in Music Education with an emphasis in Cello Performance. She has studied Cello with David Wells and Conducting with Kurt Klippstater and Dan D’Agostino. Ms. Glazier has also been named to Who’s Who among American Teachers. Prior to 1996, Ms Glazier was employed as an Orchestra Director/String Specialist for Martha’s Vineyard Regional Schools and The Fulton City Schools.
SUFFOLK ELEMENTARY GUEST CONDUCTOR
Barbara Wieder recently retired from Valley Stream District 30 in Nassau County where she was the string teacher and orchestra director at all three district elementary schools, and is now working part time in Valley Stream District 24. She completed her undergraduate and graduate work at SUNY Fredonia. Mrs. Wieder is a member and strong supporter of LISFA, Nassau Music Educators Association (NMEA), NYSSMA and MENC; she is frequently seen at LISFA and NMEA festivals volunteering her time at all festivals and concerts. In addition, she is an active NYSSMA string adjudicator.
Mrs. Wieder is a violist and a founding member of the South Shore Symphony in Rockville Centre; in addition she serves as the choir director in her Baptist Church in Garden City, New York. She currently lives in Baldwin with her husband Tom who is a guitarist. Her daughter Jessica, who currently lives in Maryland with her husband (an electric bass player), twice represented the Oceanside School District as a NYSSMA All-State vocalist. This is Mrs. Wieder’s first opportunity to conduct a LISFA orchestra and she is excited at the opportunity to work with these talented young string students.