About the Jasper Orchestra Program

The Jasper High School Orchestra is proud to be recognized as one of the most accomplished orchestra programs in America. Jasper is a grade 9 and 10 campus in Plano, TX, a Dallas suburb. Their orchestra currently serves over 200 students in five orchestras. Since its inception in 1996, Jasper’s Legacy Orchestra has regularly ranked as one of the top five string orchestras in Texas, despite competing alongside high schools that fill their orchestras with 9th through 12th graders. And in 2014, the Jasper Symphony Orchestra was named TMEA Honor Full Orchestra, or first place in Texas. Jasper’s orchestras have also repeatedly earned top commendation at UIL competition and festival competitions across Texas. Listen to all 5 orchestras through the “Media” tab in the navigation bar.

Jasper feeds Plano West Senior High School, repeat winner of the TMEA Honor String Orchestra competition, and it is fed by Rice and Robinson Middle Schools, also both winners of the middle school TMEA Honor Orchestra competitions.
Dr. Deborah Perkins led Jasper’s first orchestra, followed by Mary Havenstrite (currently at Robinson MS). In the 2000s, Julianne Booth, assisted at various times by Janet Paderewski Lattanzi, Monika Bartley, Mauri Overly, and Amy Gross, advanced the program to its current level of maturity. Following an interim year under the leadership of retired director Ruth Kurtis, the 2009 Texas Orchestra Director of the Year, the program was led by Ryan Ross for three years, who is now Director of Orchestras at Plano West Senior High. Today the Jasper Orchestra program is under the direction of Matthew Moreno with Assistant Director Vivian Chen.

Vertical Staff

    • Ryan Ross : Orchestra Director, Plano West Senior High
    • Matthew Moreno : Orchestra Director, Jasper High School
    • Amy Gross : Assistant Director, Plano West Senior High
    • Vivian Chen : Assistant Director, Jasper HS
    • Emily De La Torre : Orchestra Director, Rice Middle School
    • Mary Havenstrite : Orchestra Director, Robinson Middle School
    •  Eric Tannenbaum: Assistant Director, Rice Middle School
    • Christopher Sykora : Assistant Director, Robinson Middle School