Lamar High School Orchestra
Students in the Lamar Viking Orchestras are among the most intelligent, dedicated, and respected students at Lamar HS. Their talents and abilities however are not limited to just Orchestra as most students are also heavily involved in the many other organizations in the Lamar community such as P-Tech, AVID, National Honor Society, Football, Tennis, LULAC, Swimming, Robotics, Basketball, Choir, Theatre, Student Council, Cheerleading, Band, and ViQueens to name a few. While it is a cultural tenet of the LHSO to separate achievement from self-worth, very often the Viking Orchestra still boasts multiple Seniors ranked in the top 2% of their graduating class. Besides preparing for seasonal concerts and UIL Orchestra Evaluation, students participate in Solo and Ensemble Contest, the All-Region and All-State audition process, and perform frequently throughout the community.
Andrew Walton
Mr. Andrew Walton has been the Head Orchestra Director at Lamar High School since 2014. He is the director of the Symphony and Concert Orchestras and assists with the Philharmonic and Sinfonia Orchestras. Before moving to Lamar, Mr. Walton held the position of Assistant Orchestra Director at Seguin High School in Arlington for seven years. As an educator, Mr. Walton hopes to build better people by using excellence in music as his vehicle. He is an active member of the Texas Orchestra Directors Association and Texas Music Educators Association. Mr. Walton is also a founding member of the professional cello ensemble The 440 Alliance, a group he has performed with since 2004.
Mr. Walton holds a Bachelors of Music with emphasis on Education from the University of Texas at Arlington. He is also a product of the Arlington ISD Strings program and a graduate of Lamar High School. In his spare time, he enjoys coaching youth sports, is active with the Youth at his church, and enjoys spending time with the love of his life, Christine Walton and their three children.
Jessica Winters
Miss Winters is excited to begin her first year as the Assistant Orchestra Director for the Lamar Orchestra program! Prior to coming to Lamar, Miss Winters taught for two years at Westpark Elementary School in Fort Worth ISD as an Elementary Music Specialist, teaching K-5 students.
Miss Winters graduated in 2020 from the University of Texas at Arlington with a degree in Music Education. Her primary instrument is viola, and she has taught violin and viola private lessons for over 7 years. Miss Winters is an alumnae of Martin High School in Arlington, Texas and was a member of the 2015 TMEA Honor String Orchestra. She holds memberships with the Fort Worth SAI Alumnae Association and the Texas Music Educators Association.
In her free time, Miss Winters enjoys to read, go running, and hang out with friends and her dog, Luna.
