Will Whitehead

Will Whitehead is a string music educator, orchestral conductor, and violist pursuing a Ph.D. in Music Education at Florida State University. He is currently the Music Director of the FSU Sinfonia, the Director of the Tallahassee Youth Orchestras' Intermezzo Strings, viola faculty with the FSU String Orchestra Camp, and District 3 Chairperson on the executive board of the Florida Orchestra Association.
Previously, Mr. Whitehead served as Director of Orchestras at Braden River High School. Under his direction, the Braden River Symphony Orchestra and BRHS Chamber Orchestra regularly achieved superior ratings at District and State Concert Music Performance Assessments (MPAs). Mr. Whitehead’s students have successfully auditioned into Florida All-County, All-State, and youth orchestras, have frequently earned superior ratings at District and State Solo & Ensemble MPAs, and are pursuing degrees in music performance and music education at various universities around the country. He was the SCF-Bradenton Symphony Orchestra's guest conductor and rehearsal assistant. He has performed solo viola and presented original research at the American String Teachers Association National Conference.
As a violist, Mr. Whitehead has served as Principal Viola of the Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus and Orchestra, Principal Viola of the Bradenton Symphony Orchestra, and Acting Principal Viola of the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra. He has played in the sections of the Venice Symphony, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, and Ocala Symphony Orchestra. As a soloist, Mr. Whitehead received an honorable mention in the 2015 NWFLSO Concerto Competition and was a finalist in the 2016 NWFLSO Concerto Competition and the 2016 FSU Young Artist Competition. He has participated in masterclasses with Helen Callus, Dr. Lauren Burnes Hodges, and the Penderecki String Quartet. In 2017, Mr. Whitehead was a member of the Youth Advisory Council of the American Viola Society.
Mr. Whitehead holds a B.M. in Viola Performance and B.M.E. in Instrumental Music Education from Florida State University and an M.M. in Music Education from Kent State University. He currently studies conducting with Dr. Alexander Jiménez, viola with Dr. Pamela Ryan, and is a graduate teaching assistant for Dr. Kasia Bugaj.