Orchestra Directors

Gary Needham, Director of Orchestras

Gary Needham has been teaching for 29 years. He is currently at Clark high School in Plano ISD. Before that he taught at Garland High School where all his orchestras received UIL Sweepstakes and his Honors Orchestra was named “Best High School Orchestra” by Broadway Dallas in 2021. He previously taught for 7 years at The Colony High School where his orchestras placed 7th and 6th in the Texas State Full Honor Orchestra Competition. The previous 9 years before that was in Allen ISD at Allen High School and the Lowery Freshman Center. During his time in Allen, the Allen High School Orchestra Symphony Orchestra placed in the HS Full Honor Orchestra Finals (2004, 2006, 2007), and performed at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago (2007). Mr. Needham’s groups have continuously been awarded “Sweepstakes” at UIL and have won numerous other festival awards throughout the country. Before this, he was the orchestra director at Frankford Middle School in Plano ISD, a position he had held since 1998. Since the opening of Frankford MS in 1998, under Mr. Needham’s direction, the orchestra program had grown to over 220 students, including 3 performing groups and 110 beginners. The groups at Frankford continually received the UIL “Sweepstakes” award and numerous other recognitions. The Frankford Chamber Orchestra placed in the Finals of the Texas Middle School Honor Orchestra Competition in 2000, 2002 and 2003.

In addition to his teaching, Mr. Needham is an active clinician and judge in the Dallas area and around the state. Mr. Needham also has served as the Concert Orchestra conductor for the New Conservatory of Dallas. He also remains an active freelance cellist in the Dallas area. He has taught summer camps at Hummingbird, Hardin Simmons, Baylor and Texas Tech University. He also conducts orchestras at the Music in the Mountains Festival in Durango, Colorado each summer. Mr. Needham holds membership and affiliations with TMEA, TODA, TMAA and Mu Omicron.

Mr. Needham, a native of Amarillo, Texas, graduated from Caprock High School and received his Bachelor of Music in Education from Hardin Simmons University in Abilene. He and his wife Erin have a daughter, Kate (20 years old), and 14 year old son, Garrett.  

Olivia Graber, Associate Director of Orchestras

Hello! I am Olivia Graber, a Houston born and raised cellist who just  graduated from UNT and is starting my first year teaching! Teaching music is a passion of mine, and I love being a part of the group of people that help our students grow. I want to mold our next generation not only into wonderful musicians and scholars, but also wonderful people. Thank you for letting me be apart of your team. Go Wildcats!

Director Contact Information

Orchestra Office # - (469) 752-7291

Gary Needham - gary.needham@pisd.edu

Olivia Graber - olivia.graber@pisd.edu