Florida Orchestra Association

2012 High School Honors Orchestra

 Dr. William Wiedrich, Associate Professor of Conducting, leads the USF Symphony Orchestra and conducts the Opera Theatre. He also holds the position of Music Director of the Tampa Metropolitan Youth Orchestra. His youth orchestras have appreared twice in Carnegie Hall and have been active in an ambitious commissioning project to produce significant new works for young orchestras. He oversees USF’s graduate orchestral conducting program and maintains a large private studio of conducting students across the state of Florida.

A published composer and arranger, Wiedrich commissioned new works for orchestra, chamber ensemble, and wind ensemble. A clinician and adjudicator with a national following, he is a founding member and artistic director of Music, Etcetera – a cutting edge contemporary new music arts collective.

Wiedrich has conducted the USF Opera Theatre in Aaron Copland’s only opera, “The Tender Land”, as well as acclaimed performances of Britten’s “Turn of the Screw”, Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro”, “Cosi fan Tutte”, and “Magic Flute”, Strauss’ “Di Fledermaus” and Bizet’s “Carmen”. While at USF, his ensembles premiered twenty new works, as well as conducting the American premiere of John Ireland’s “Legend for Piano and Orchestra” with Svetozar Ivanov, piano. The USF Symphony has released The Orchestral Works of Robert Helps on the Albany label, which included the world premiere recording of Helps’ Symphony No. 2.

Wiedrich also appeared as guest conductor with the Detroit Chamber Winds, the Spokane Symphony Orchestra, and the Florida Orchestra. Wiedrich was selected as Artistic Director of Wisconsin’s Fox River Chamber Music Festival, conducting nationally and internationally renowned artists, and promoting its mission to establish contemporary music as a permanent component of American repertory.

Prior to his appointment in Tampa, Wiedrich held faculty positions at East Carolina University, Michigan State University, and the University of Michigan, where he later earned his Doctorate. His teachers include Gustav Meier, H. Robert Reynolds, and Larry Rachleff, as well as Gunther Schuller at The Festival at Sandpoint. He also attended the conducting seminar at Tanglewood, and has served on the summer faculty of the Interlochen Arts Academy. He serves on the conducting faculty of the summer program of China’s Jinsha Conservatory, and has also appeared as guest conductor in Canada and as conductor on recordings released on the Capstone, Albany, Blue Griffin, and Koch labels.

High School Honor Orchestra Rehearsal and Concert Schedule

Embassy Suites Downtown Skyway Ballroom

Concert Attire for 9-12 Honors Orchestra:

Rehearsal - Nice school clothes

Concert - All Black (see below)

Boys: Black dress pants, long sleeve black dress shirt, black socks, black dress shoes, black belt, and long black tie. NO cologne.

Girls: Floor length black skirt, long sleeve black blouse, black panty hose, and black dress shoes. NO perfume or large hair ornaments.