Our inaugural episode features an interview with Mr. Matthew Radspinner, orchestra director at Williamsport Area High School in Pennsylvania.
Matthew Radspinner was appointed to the position of Orchestra Director at Williamsport Area High School in 2011 but has served in the district since 2005. Previously he directed Williamsport Area Middle School and Elementary orchestras. Mr. Radspinner has had the honor of having four of his Williamsport Area School District Orchestras selected to perform at PMEA (Pennsylvania Music Educators Association) State Conferences in 2008, 2010, 2014 and 2017. At the high school, Mr. Radspinner directs three curricular orchestras as well as the, Millionaire Strolling Strings. The Millionaire Strolling Strings performed at the opening general session of the 2019 NAfME Easter Conference in Pittsburgh, PA.
Outside of his duties with the Williamsport Area School District, Mr. Radspinner has served as a member of the music education faculties at Susquehanna and Bucknell Universities and has been teaching at the Ohio State University String Teacher Workshop since 2011. Currently, Mr. Radspinner is the music director for the Williamsport Symphony Youth Orchestra and is the founder of the Williamsport Symphony Junior Strings program. Mr. Radspinner has been invited to guest conduct orchestras throughout the east coast and enjoys an activate schedule as a clinician, including presenting at the 2012 and 2017 PMEA (Pennsylvania Music Educators Association) State Conference and the 2015 ASTA (American String Teacher Association) conference in Tampa Fla. In 2017, Mr. Radspinner was honored to receive the Pennsylvania String Teacher of the Year award as given by the Pennsylvania/Delaware chapter of ASTA.
Mr. Radspinner studied undergraduate music education and performance at The Pennsylvania State University and Mansfield University. Radspinner completed masters in music education at Shenandoah University. On double bass, Mr. Radspinner is a member of the Williamsport Symphony and has performed with the Nittany Valley, and Altoona Symphonies as well as the Penns Woods Festival Orchestra. Also, Mr. Radspinner is a founding member of The Williamsport City Jazz Orchestra.
Mr. Radspinner resides in the city of Williamsport with his wife Anna (also a string teacher) and their daughters Megan, Elizabeth (Libby), and Nina.
