Kevin Garza
Interim Conductor, Philharmonic Orchestra
Kevin Garza is the Director of Orchestras at Williams High School in Plano, Texas. As an educator, Mr. Garza has taught in a variety of settings before earning his teaching certification. He taught and maintained a private lesson studio and has given trombone masterclasses and clinics to a handful of school districts in the Dallas area. During his time in Indiana he served as a low brass adjudicator for the KMEA Solo and Ensemble Contest for two years and was heavily involved as a staff member for the New Albany High School Bands. Mr. Garza was also active as a trombonist, performing in concerts with Brass Band of Louisville and the Louisville Winds.
As a conductor, Mr. Garza was selected to attend the Pacific Northwest Conducting Institute held on Whidbey Island as a conducting fellow in 2018. There he led the Saratoga Orchestra through an electrifying performance of Manuel de Falla’s Three-Cornered Hat Suite No. 1. His principal mentors there were Music Director Anna Edwards and Allentown Symphony Director Diane Wittry.
Mr. Garza earned his Bachelor’s degree in Composition from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University and his Master’s in Orchestral Conducting from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. His principal mentor was Paul Phillips, Music Director of the SMU Meadows Symphony.
In his spare time Mr. Garza enjoys cooking, playing the piano, and visiting friends and family. He resides in Forney with his wife, Megan, and their daughter.