High School Honors Orchestra
James Palmer is the Orchestra Director and Fine Arts Department Chairman at Allatoona High School in Acworth, Georgia, and The Music Director for The Youth Orchestras of Greater Columbus in Columbus Georgia. He received his Bachelor’s of Music Education Degree from Florida State University. Mr. Palmer has served as the Orchestra Director at Manatee High School in Bradenton Florida from 1989-1996, Music Department Chairman and Orchestra Director at Cypress Lake Center For The Arts in Fort Myers, Florida from 1996-2001, and Fine Arts Department Chairman and Orchestra Director at Chattahoochee High School from 2001-2008. In addition to his teaching career, Mr. Palmer has also served as conductor with the Florida West Coast Symphony Youth Orchestra, Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestra and former Music Director for The Tampa Bay Youth Orchestra and the Southwest Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra. He is currently the Senior Conductor at The Florida State University Summer Music Camps, a post he has held since 1996. Mr. Palmer’s orchestras have performed at the Florida Music Educator’s Conference in Tampa, The MENC Southern Division Conference in Savannah, The ASTA National Orchestra Festival in Dallas, The Midwest Clinic in Chicago, and the 2005 ASTA National Conference in Reno, Nevada.
Jim Palmer has received the Teacher of the Year Award in three separate High Schools, and has been inducted into the Florida Collegiate Music Educators Hall of Fame. He is a frequent clinician having conducted All State Orchestras in Florida, Georgia, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Mr. Palmer has also maintained a career as a professional violist serving as Principal Violist for the Sarasota Pops Orchestra, section violist, and substitute principal for The Southwest Florida Symphony and Chamber Orchestra as well as a free lance violist in the Atlanta area. Mr. Palmer is a member of GMEA, The American Federation of Musicians Local 148-462, President of the Georgia American String Teachers Association, and Past Chairman of The ASTA National Orchestra Festival. He lives in Kennesaw with his wife Lydia, son Curtis and daughter Ericka.
High School Honor Orchestra Rehearsal and Concert Schedule
Embassy Suites (Downtown) (Skyway)
Registration Thursday 8:30 AM-9:00 AM
Reseating Audition Thursday 9:00 AM-10:15 AM
Rehearsal Thursday 1:00 PM-5:00 PM
Rehearsal Thursday 7:00 PM-9:30 PM
Rehearsal Friday 8:30 AM-11:30 AM
Rehearsal Friday 1:00 PM-5:00 PM
Concert Performance: Saturday, January 9, 9:00 a.m.
Conductor: James Palmer – Tampa Convention Center, Ballroom A/B
