ABOUT THE ORCHESTRA
Spartanburg High School (Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA) is the flagship school in Spartanburg School District 7, located in the ‘Upstate’ region of South Carolina, just a 40-minute drive south of the Blue Ridge Mountains. “SHS” is home to the first string orchestra program in the State of South Carolina, established in 1920.
The SHS Touring Chamber Orchestra is comprised of members of four separate orchestra classes at the school. Like most American high schools, SHS houses students in grades 9-12 (ages 15-18). There are 100 orchestra students at Spartanburg High School, and a total of nearly 500 string orchestra students across School District 7, including two middle schools and seven elementary schools.
Since 1970, members of the Spartanburg High School orchestras have traveled overseas every 3-4 years. Past tours have included performances in England, France, Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, and China. This year’s summer tour features a 37-piece orchestra, with scheduled performances in London, Liverpool, and Edinburgh.
ABOUT THE CONDUCTOR
Jeffrey M. Kuntz has been the conductor of the Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra at Spartanburg High School and the Coordinator of the Spartanburg School District 7 Orchestra Program since 2009. A native of Clearwater, Florida, Mr. Kuntz has called Spartanburg, South Carolina his home for the past 25 years. In a music education career of 37 years, he has taught both bands and orchestras in Mississippi, Florida, and South Carolina. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina and a Master of Music Education degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Within the South Carolina Music Educators Association, he is the All-State Orchestra Winds and Percussion Liaison. Mr. Kuntz is an active performer as a church choir vocalist and he also specializes on viola, string bass, trombone, euphonium, and many percussion instruments. Outside of his professional duties at Spartanburg High School, he provides frequent support to the music ministry and worship activities at First Presbyterian Church in Spartanburg.