50 state string orchestra project

peter jagdeo + tomball memorial high school orchestras

Tomball, Texas

During the past six years, the Tomball Memorial High School Orchestra program has been recognized for musical excellence on every level. Besides winning “Superior” ratings in all regional University Interscholastic League  competitions, in 2018 the orchestra was recognized by the Houston Symphony which awarded the program a High School Residency. 

In 2021, the Tomball Memorial Symphony and Chamber orchestras were both named as National Winners by the Foundation for Music Education’s National Orchestra Honors Project in the full and string orchestra divisions. During the 2019-2020 term, the National Orchestra  Honors Project also awarded a Recognized commendation to the Tomball Memorial Symphony  Orchestra. With its recent recognition as National Winners, the Tomball Memorial Orchestra is the only program to be so awarded in both the full and string orchestra divisions.

The TMHS Orchestra also has a proven history of preparing young musicians for professional careers. Every year it produces several music majors. Currently, there are alumni studying music at the University of Texas, Texas Tech, the University of North Texas, Baylor, the University of Houston, Yale, the Cincinnati Conservatory, and the Boston Conservatory, among others. 

Tomball Memorial High School is an A-rated school located in the Houston suburb of Tomball, Texas. The school has earned six academic distinctions from the state, and consistently produces students that are prepared for the workforce, military service, or college. Last year, the Class of 2022 earned approximately $12 million in scholarships.

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Peter C. Jagdeo has been the Head Orchestra Director at Tomball Memorial High School since 2017 alongside Kade Eckhardt, the Associate Orchestra Director. This is Mr. Jagdeo’s fourteenth year in education. He studied at the Moores School of Music where he was placed in the violin studio of Andrzej Grabiec. Mr. Jagdeo is currently finishing up a Master of Music in Music Technology program in studio and game audio at Southern Utah University. Mr. Eckhardt attended Stephen F. Austin University, where he studied cello with Evgeni Raychev. This is his seventh year in education. 

Both instructors have performed extensively in their own right - Mr. Eckhardt performs with the Houston Civic Symphony, and Mr. Jagdeo has performed with artists such as Michael W. Smith, Natalie Grant, Casting  Crowns, Amy Grant, and Cana’s Voice. He was also a member of the orchestra at the 2008 Latin Grammy Awards.

about
the 50 state
string orchestra project

2022-2024

The 50 State String Orchestra Project is a large-scale consortium commission that is bringing new music to classrooms and concert halls all over the US in the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 seasons, with educational and community orchestras in all 50 states commissioning a new piece for string orchestra, similar in difficulty level and scope to Stephanie’s 2011 work for string orchestra Beyond the Gate. Her consortium commissions for chamber music have already brought new string-centered music all across the world, from her 50 State Sonata Project for violin + piano, inspired by the work of her teacher John Kendall, and her World Sonata Project, which was commissioned by violinists from 35 countries in 2016.