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Summerville nonprofit hires key executive

Jason Thomas //September 12, 2022//

Summerville nonprofit hires key executive

Jason Thomas //September 12, 2022//

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The Summerville Orchestra has announced that DeAnndra Glenn is the inaugural director and education coordinator for the new Summerville Orchestra Youth Philharmonic and education program.

Glenn has taught strings students of all ages in the Charleston area since 2005 and has performed with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, the North Charleston POPS! and with Mannheim Steamroller, Michael Bublé and Michael W. Smith among many others, according to a news release from the orchestra.

DeAnndra Glenn is the inaugural director and education coordinator for the new Summerville Orchestra Youth Philharmonic and education program. (Photo/Provided)She was conductor of the Charleston County School District Honors Orchestra from 2005 to 2010, and served for seven years as a strings instructor for both the Charleston County School district summer SMAART (Students Mastering the Academic Arts) program and the West Ashley middle and high schools, the release stated.

Glenn founded Charleston Violin Studio, and many of her violin and viola students have gained admission to the Charleston County School District School of the Arts, Rollings School of the Arts, the Lowcountry Region and South Carolina All-State Orchestras and the Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra, according to the release.

 “When I was a student, each new orchestra I joined was a stepping stone to the next level. At first, I would struggle to keep up,” Glenn said in the release. “But with practice and determination, my playing advanced. The orchestra pushed me to become a better musician because I had to learn to stay with the group.”

Glenn stepped away from conducting and teaching when her twins — a boy and a girl — were born and is thrilled now to be in a position to reengage, the release stated.

“I love conducting and leading orchestra rehearsals. The Summerville Orchestra Youth Philharmonic will be a wonderful opportunity for students to make new friends while at the same time developing their musicality,” she said. “Playing in an ensemble teaches students to work as a team and also helps them form other life skills. Plus, involvement in extracurriculars also looks impressive on a college application.”

Glenn and S.O. staff will work with area school music instructors to identify and audition students for participation. Auditions will be held on Monday, Sept. 19, 6-7 p.m., at Alston Middle School, 500 Bryan St., Summerville. More informatoin is available here.

The S.O. Youth Philharmonic is being made possible through a grant from the South Carolina Arts Commission. The mission of the Youth Philharmonic program is to provide an affordable youth orchestra experience to public, private and charter school students as well as home-schooled students in the tri-county. The Youth Philharmonic is scheduled to perform three concerts this year.

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