Doris Gazda, a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and Penn State University, taught for many years as a string specialist in the Montgomery County, Maryland, public schools. Most recently, she was a faculty Associate at Arizona State University. She has served nationally as Secretary for the American String Teachers Association, President of the National School Orchestra Association and Member-at-Large for ASTA with NSOA. Nationally known for her leadership and expertise in string instruction, Ms. Gazda presents workshop sessions at conventions and teacher’s meetings and guest conducts for city, regional and all-state orchestras. She is a frequent presenter at state and national meetings for MENC, ASTA with NSOA, MTNA, regional school systems and string workshops. She received the 2003 Alumni Achievement Award from the School of Arts and Architecture at Penn State University.In the spring of 2006 she was appointed String Editorial Consultant for Carl Fischer Music.

In 2008 she was awarded the Sigma Alpha Iota honor of Member Laureate - an initiated member of the Fraternity who has achieved international distinction in the music profession.

Volunteer activities include helping with ASTA projects, participating in the Phoenix SAI Alumni Chapter activities, visiting schools in the Phoenix, AZ area and volunteering as a teacher assistant at a school in Mesa, AZ. Doris is co-director of a New Horizons Orchestra in Mesa, AZ. This orchestra is made up of older adults who wish to get back to playing now that they have time in retirement.

Please e-mail Doris if you are interested in discussing commissioning music or if you have questions about the compositions or method books.

June 2006 Conduct the reading orchestra for the Arizona State University String Workshop.

March 2006 Presentations at the American String Teachers Association National Conference, Kansas City, MO

January 2006 Presentations at the Arizona, Michigan and Colorado MEA conferences.

July 2005 Presentations at the Texas Orchestra Directors Conference, San Antonio.

April, 2005 Present clinics at the Pennsylvania MEA meetings in Hershey, PA

March, 2005 Performance of “One Small Step” for string orchestra commissioned by the Belleview, WA Youth Orchestras

February, 2005 Presentation at the ASTA with NSOA National Convention in Reno, NV

January, 2005 Conduct the Oregon Middle School All-State Orchestra in Eugene, OR Presentation at the Illinois MEA meetings in Peoria, IL

November, 2004 Present clinics at the Virginia MEA meetings in Norfolk, VA

September 2004: Present Clinics in Omaha, Nebraska for the ASTA with NSOA chapter fall workshop.

June 2004: Conduct the Middle School Orchestra for the Arizona Summer Music Camp at Northern Arizona University.

April 2004: Conduct the Tucson All-City Orchestra.

March 2004: ASTA with NSOA National Convention in Dallas, TX. All day clinic consisting of four sessions presented with Pam Tellejohn.

February 2004: Conduct the Salem, Oregon High School Honors Orchestra.

December 2003: Clinic presentation at the Midwest Orchestra and Band Clinic in Chicago. The session was called “We are the Music Makers . . . who Stole Our Dreams and Our Musicianship?” the music performance and demonstration was by the A. E. Stevenson High School Orchestra from Lincolnshire, IL.

August 2003: Conduct the orchestra for Colorado ASTA Summer String Camp

July 2003: Conduct the Wingert-Jones Reading workshop in Kansas City

May 2003: Conduct the massed orchestras of the Lake Oswego, OR schools in the "Columbia River Suite," commissioned by the Lake Oswego Public Schools

April 2003: Receive the 2003 Alumni Achievement Award from the School of Arts and Architecture at Penn State University

March 2003: Preside for the technology sessions at the National ASTA/NSOA Convention in Columbus, OH

February 2003: Workshops for the Liberty, MO schools

December 2002: Attend performances of two compositions performed at the Midwest Clinic, Chicago
"Road Runner Rally" (Carl Fischer) performed by Port Angeles,(WA) High School Chamber Orchestra
"Mars Hill" (Kjos) performed by Plano West (TX) Symphony Orchestra.

August 2002: Conduct the orchestra for the Colorado ASTA Summer String Camp

June 2002: Conduct the New-Music Reading Sessions at the University of Arizona Sedona String Workshop