Penny

Penny Meitz recently retired as Orchestra Director and Strings Teacher at St. John’s School where she held the Mary Wood Neuhaus Chair in Music. For 18 years, she taught orchestra at St. John’s School in the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools. Ms. Meitz was appointed to the Mary Wood Neuhaus Endowed Chair in Music in May, 2017. In 2023, she was named Orchestra Director of the Year by Texas Orchestra Directors Association. Including her years at St. John’s, Ms. Meitz has taught orchestra for a total of 50 years.

Ms. Meitz pursued her undergraduate education at the University of Michigan and Western Michigan University, receiving the Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. After teaching school for 12 years, she returned to school to earn a Master of Music degree in Viola Performance from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. During her student years, Ms. Meitz ‘s conducting teachers included Elizabeth Green and Samuel Jones.

In 1973, Ms. Meitz began her teaching career in Michigan, working for seven years at Northern High School in Portage, Michigan. She moved to Texas in 1980, and then taught in Pasadena, Houston, Spring Branch and Fort Bend Independent School Districts before her first attempt at retiring. Almost immediately, Ms. Meitz accepted a teaching appointment at St. John’s School, where she taught until retiring for a second time, in May of 2024. In fall of 2024, she began teaching string pedagogy classes at the University of Houston Central Campus. Over her long career as a public-school Orchestra Director, Ms. Meitz’s orchestras consistently won Sweepstakes awards in UIL competitions. The Clements Symphony Orchestra was a featured orchestra at the Midwest Clinic, an International Band and Orchestra Conference, in 2000, and was selected TMEA High School Symphony Honor Orchestra in 2001-2002.

Penny Meitz had extensive performing experience as a violist with the Houston Ballet Orchestra as well as Houston Grand Opera and numerous freelance ensembles. She maintained an active private viola studio for many years, assisting many students in achieving membership in TMEA All State Orchestras. Ms. Meitz has been on the faculty of AFA’s summer music program for over twenty-five years. Ms. Meitz continues to perform as a free-lance violist in various ensembles in Houston.

Ms. Meitz has conducted the Greater Houston Youth Orchestra String Ensemble, the GHYO Philharmonic, and the Bay Area Youth Symphony. She has been a frequent clinician for All-Region Orchestras throughout Texas. Ms. Meitz served on the board of the Texas Orchestra Directors Association from 1997 - 2002. She was elected TMEA Orchestra Division Vice President from 2015-2017, and served on the TexASTA board from 2017-2021. Serving the world music education has been an integral part of her career.

Ms. Meitz was raised in Royal Oak, Michigan. In her spare time she enjoys yoga, gardening, bicycling, reading and cooking. She lives in Houston with her husband, Mike Mason.