ONW Orchestra
The Olathe Northwest Orchestra is in its sixth year. Made up of over 50 string players, we had four performances last year, plus KSHSAA Large Group Festival, Solo and Ensemble Festival, and a trip to Boston where we performed at historic Faneuil Hall. The group previously has traveled to Chicago for a festival performance, and has created some unique concert events, including a multi-media concert with computer animation and a rock concert with electric instruments.
The orchestra is dedicated to creating a quality musical experience for its members. Through the orchestra program, students develop an understanding of music history, theory and technical knowledge of how to perform a stringed instrument. Orchestra also provides students the opportunity to be creative and explore, as well as teaching the discipline and teamwork skills necessary to succeed in life. Outside of the curricular orchestra class, students can participate in a myriad of musical activities, including solo and ensemble festivals, musical pit orchestra, Tri-M Music National Honor Society, Select Ensemble, and District and State Honor Orchestras, and the Music Theory and Appreciation class.
Olathe School District and Olathe Northwest High School
The Olathe School District is well-known for its commitment to excellence in education and its suport of the arts. Located near Kansas City, Olathe’s constant growth recently led to the creation of a fourth high school, Olathe Northwest. Olathe Northwest features advanced technology and 21st century programs, including e-Communication and Aerospace and Engineering. Enhancement programs include Fine Arts, giving students an opportunity to focus more on their musical abilities.
The Orchestra Director
Mr. Martin is in his thirteenth year of teaching in the Olathe School district. Besides Olathe Northwest, Mr. Martin teaches at Meadow Lane and Woodland Elementary Schools. Before teaching at ONW, he was the orchestra director at Oregon Trail Jr. High and taught strings at several elementary schools. Mr. Martin was also co-director of the Olathe Area Youth Symphonies for 6 years.
Mr. Martin obtained his Bachelors degree in Music Education from UMKC Conservatory of Music studying violin with Tiberius Klausner, Grisha Sandomirsky, and Benny Kim. He also earned a Master of Arts in Music Composition at the UMKC Conservatory, studying composition with Dr. Zhou Long and Dr. Chen Yi.
Mr. Martin’s primary instrument is the violin. He currently plays “Katherine” (his violin) as the first violinist in the Armande String Quartet. He resides in Kansas City with his wife, Traci, and their two dogs, Schubert and Puccini.