Director of Orchestral Studies
Biography
Dr. Selim Giray serves as Director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Mississippi and conductor of the Memphis Youth Symphony Program’s Repertory Orchestra. Periodically, since 2023 Selim Giray has performed as cover conductor for the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Memphis Ballet. In February of 2024, Dr. Giray conducted the California High School All-State String Orchestra. Previously, Giray served as Concertmaster and Assistant Conductor at Ohio Light Opera.
Giray is the author of String Methods for Beginners (2020), and co-author of Fundamentals of Instrumental and Choral Conducting (forthcoming).
Between 2020 and 2023, Giray served on ASTA National Board as Member-at-Large. He is featured on numerous CDs and can be heard on Naxos Online Library. Giray studied the violin with Eliot Chapo, former Concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, Fritz Gearhart, Visiting Professor of Violin at University of Colorado Boulder; conducting with Dr. William Intriligator, Director of Dubuque and Cheyenne Symphony Orchestras, and Roman Skřepek, former Conductor of Košice State Theater Opera.
Publications
String Methods for Beginners is designed for students to receive the essential playing and teaching skills on all orchestral string instruments. The goal of this textbook is to be truly methodical in its approach, and to assist the instructor, completely eliminating the need to do additional research, or reorganization in preparation to teach this class. Students will gain the basic knowledge and experience to teach bowed stringed instruments in public schools. String Methods for Beginners covers the necessary topics to learn and teach the violin, viola, cello, and string bass. It explores the fundamentals of those instruments and teaching considerations, utilizing a heterogeneous approach.
As the primary resource to any college- and university-level String Techniques, String Methods, or Instrumental Methods class, this course book fits into a standard semester, comprised of 25 lessons, which correspond with two hourly classes per week for the term. It provides the instructor with the tools to teach a classroom of non-majors or string education majors, or a mixed classroom of both.
Courses Taught
- MUS 131–531 UNIVERSITY ORCHESTRA
- Mus 315 APPLIED VIOLIN
- MUS 565 APPLIED VIOLA
- MUS 605 CHAMBER MUSIC
- VILN 121–521 INSTRUMENTAL SOLO LITERATURE
- VILN 121–541 PEDAGOGY OF MUSIC PERFORMANCE
- VILA 121–541
Education
MM Music, East Carolina University (1994)
DM Music, Florida State University (2001)