Keith Holliday
Director
About the Orchestras
The Medina City Schools Orchestra program has earned a reputation for excellence throughout the state and has been a source of pride in our community as part of a music program that offers extensive opportunities in the performing arts. The orchestras active at the high school are the Symphony Orchestra, String Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra. The Chamber Orchestra members are selected from the Symphony Orchestra and do their rehearsing and preparation as an after school activity. Not only are our members accomplished musicians, but also dedicated leaders and participants of many organizations in the school and community. Many of our members also perform with the various region youth orchestras.
The Medina High School Orchestras have a long history of superior ratings at the Ohio Music Education state level adjudication. We are proud of all of our orchestras past success and achievements at this event. The orchestras have performed at prestigious festivals and events in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Russia, Canada, the U.S.A. and Ohio. Past highlights include performances at Carnegie Hall in May 2004, the Riverside Church in New York City, the Rudolfinum in Prague, state and regional OMEA Professional Conferences in Cincinnati and Cleveland. In March of 2008 the MHS Orchestra was honored by our selection to perform as part of the International Music Festival in Saint - Petersburg, Russia. The Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography of the Russian government assigned our orchestra to perform at the Grand Philharmonic Hall named after Shostakovich, an honor reserved for only selected ensembles. The MHS Orchestra also performed a solo concert to a full house at the State Capella Hall named after Glinka.
The orchestra program is a culmination of the efforts of an exceptional and dedicated string teaching staff that includes Keith Holliday, Cathy Krabec and Shelly Jansen. Sectional rehearsals for the symphony orchestra woodwinds, brass and percussion are led by Jason Locher once a week. Not forgotten is the foundation of excellence that was fostered by Kenneth V. Sanford during the 1970’s and later. Elementary strings start instruction in the fourth grade and meet three times per week in each elementary school. Middle school strings, grades six, seven and eight meet by grade level five days a week. At the high school the symphony orchestra and string orchestras meet five days a week, during separate class periods. Our students have opportunities to work with guest conductors, clinicians and professional musicians as part of an ongoing residency program to bring guest artists into the schools
We are proud of our orchestra program, students, and teachers. Not many schools enjoy the quality and high level of musicianship and achievement that our students have attained. In fact, did you know that only 20% of Ohio’s public school systems have orchestra programs? Many of our student musicians are active in more that one performing group at Medina High School and go on to study music performance, music education, music therapy and other degree programs in the field of music in colleges and universities. Many students are awarded scholarships and continue to be active in music even when continuing their education in other areas. Each year the program continues to grow and enrich the lives of students, adults and the community at large.
We thank all of those who support the efforts of the Medina City Schools’ orchestra program. Most importantly we wish to thank the parents for all that they do, the “Friends Of The Orchestra” our parent support group, patrons, and the Medina City Schools Administration and Board of Education which through it’s support has fostered a tradition of excellence in the arts.
About the Director
Keith Holliday is now in his thirtieth year of teaching in the Medina City Schools and is the music department co-chair. His instructional duties include directing the three performing orchestras at Medina High School and the Claggett Middle School seventh and eighth grade orchestras. Mr Holliday holds degrees in Music Education and Viola Performance from Kent State University.
In addition to his duties with the Medina City Schools, Mr. Holliday is an active freelance musician and violist with the Akron Symphony Orchestra, Lakeside Summer Symphony Orchestra and the Divertimento String Quartet. Additional performing experiences include the symphony orchestras of Youngstown, Canton, Warren Chamber Orchestra and many others. He has held offices with the Ohio Music Education Association, the Ohio Orchestra and String Teachers Association and has been active as a string clinician and instructor of university string methods courses. Since he started teaching in the Medina City Schools the orchestra program has blossomed to include over 600 musicians, including three performing orchestras at Medina High School. Mr Holliday is a past recipient of the “Excellence In Teaching Award” from the Medina City Schools Foundation.
Keith’s other interests include his family, pinball machines, golf, and sports. He is an avid fan of the Indians, Browns, Cavs and Team Penske. Favorite moments are spent escaping reality during the month of August in Lakeside, Ohio. Keith’s wife Becky is a string teacher in the Brunswick City Schools. Keith and Becky have two daughters, Julia and Adrienne. Julia is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music and is currently studying violin with Malcolm Lowe, concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Adrienne is a nursing home care assistant and student at Lorain County Community College in the nursing program.
“I wouldn’t call it a democratic orchestra;
music is not democratic,
but as long as you feel that people respect each other,
help each other, step in for each other,
and put the profession above anything else,
then you have a great orchestra.”
Christoph von Dohnanyi, conductor Cleveland Orchestra
May 7, 1999