ORCHESTRA PROGRAM

The McCallum Fine Arts Academy Orchestra program was started in 1953 with the opening of the school and has had a history of highly qualified and dynamic orchestra directors. Today the program has grown to over 200 students participating in three performing orchestras, a double bass ensemble, a violin ensemble, a viola ensemble, a cello ensemble and, with the support of the Austin Chamber Music Center educational outreach, numerous other quartets and ensembles.

Directors Ricky Pringle and Erika Elder’s students have consistently received top scores at UIL concert and sight-reading competitions. String orchestras also add wind players to compete in the UIL Full Orchestra competitions each year, where they have also been very successful over the years. The orchestras and string ensembles also collaborate with other Academy students/directors in other strands such as dance, theatre, and vocal music. For example, Chamber Orchestra and McCallum’s combined choirs have performed masterworks. The orchestras and string ensembles also perform for community events.

Over the years, McCallum orchestras have frequently provided live classical music for Academy dance performances, and as an outgrowth of that, some McCallum orchestra members have studied dance and appeared on stage in both musical theatre and dance productions (as dancers) and others have joined the choir as singers for special performances. Students in our programs have also had opportunities to perform in some of the most prestigious performance venues, such as Carnegie Hall, The Lincoln Center, The National Cathedral, just to name a few.

Director Ricky Pringle performs regularly with various orchestras in Texas and has also been invited to conduct Region Orchestras in Texas. Mr. Pringle has also been featured in Strad Magazine.

Assistant Director Erika Elder is a former alum of McCallum.