About the District 7 Orchestra
The string orchestra program in Spartanburg School District 7 is the oldest organized musical organization in the state of South Carolina. It began in the 1920-21 school year with a single strings class of only 3-5 students taught by Mrs. Marie Upton. Fast forward one hundred years to the present, and there are more than 500 string players taught daily across 10 campuses and by 6 full-time orchestra teachers in Spartanburg School District 7.
In its earliest years, students took private lessons that were supplemented by ensemble experiences at school. In the mid-1950’s, faculty members from Converse College mentored students in District 7’s schools and also conducted some of the ensembles. Beginning in the 1970’s, the Spartanburg High School Symphony played for numerous prestigious state and national conferences held in Atlanta, Charleston, Chicago, Dallas, Orlando, and New Orleans. The orchestra also began a tradition of international summer performance tours every 3-4 years that still take place today. These life-changing travel and performance opportunities have taken Spartanburg High School’s students and their music to Australia, Austria, California, Czech Republic, China, Fiji, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, Poland, and Switzerland as American musical ambassadors.
District 7’s orchestra students throughout the years have participated in Region and All-State orchestras, Solo and Ensemble festivals, Concert Performance Assessment, and a very unique tradition of very advanced students being chosen to perform a (solo) Concerto movement with the SHS Symphony or Chamber Orchestra. When these well-known concertos have been performed abroad, some of the orchestra program’s deepest and fondest memories and connections with people of foreign lands were formed. For example, performing Bach in Leipzig, Mozart in Salzburg, and Beethoven and Haydn in Vienna was an unforgettable opportunity on the trip in 2019 to Germany and Austria. In 2024 the orchestra traveled to the United Kingdom (England and Scotland) where students experienced the grandeur and majesty of London, the pop-culture of Liverpool (and all things Beatles), and the castles, traditions, and cuisine of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Mrs. Helen Tipton, Orchestra Coordinator
Helen Tipton serves as the District Orchestra Coordinator for Spartanburg School District 7 in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where she provides leadership for the district's nationally recognized 5–12 orchestra program while continuing to work with student musicians. Since joining District 7 in 1996, she has dedicated her career to developing young string players and building a comprehensive orchestra program that emphasizes musical excellence, collaboration, and lifelong appreciation of the arts.
Teaching orchestra has always been a family tradition. Raised in a family of professional orchestral musicians and educators, Mrs. Tipton began studying the violin at age seven under the guidance of her violinist grandmother and private teachers such as Anita Skinner and Vasile Beluska. Her experiences in school orchestras, youth orchestras, music camps, community ensembles, and symphony orchestras fostered a lifelong passion for music. As a violinist, she has performed with numerous orchestras, traveled internationally, and even appeared on national television performing with Kathie Lee Gifford.
Mrs. Tipton earned her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Bowling Green State University in Ohio before relocating to Spartanburg in 1996. Throughout her career, her students have consistently earned Superior and SSuperior with Distinction ratings at the South Carolina Music Educators Association Concert Performance Assessment and have received three consecutive Orchestra Performance Assessment (OPA) Gold Awards. Her students are regularly selected for Region Orchestra, All-State Orchestra, the Piedmont Chamber Orchestra, and the Spartanburg Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.Beyond the classroom, Mrs. Tipton has remained active as a clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor throughout South Carolina. She has conducted All-County Orchestras in Greenville and Pickens counties, served as conductor for the SCMEA Region 2 High School Orchestra, and regularly serves as an adjudicator and mentor for orchestra programs across the state.A passionate advocate for music education, Mrs. Tipton has held numerous leadership positions at both the state and local levels. She previously served on the Executive Board of the South Carolina Music Educators Association Orchestra Division, where she coordinated the Concert Performance Assessment throughout the state. Also, as Education Chair for the Spartanburg Philharmonic Board of Directors, she helped establish the Spartanburg Philharmonic Youth Orchestra in 2019, creating expanded performance opportunities for young musicians across the Upstate. She currently serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Piedmont Chamber Orchestra, providing a side by side experience for talented high school musicians and professional mentors.Mrs. Tipton's commitment to music education continues a family legacy inspired by her grandparents, both orchestra directors and professional classical musicians, whose dedication to teaching shaped her own philosophy of giving the gift of music to future generations. She and her husband, John, are the proud parents of three adult children: Elly, Carter, and Nick.
Ms. Jennifer Diehn
Jennifer Diehn received her BME from Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa and is currently halfway through her master’s program from USC Upstate. After college graduation, Ms. Diehn moved to Asheville, NC where she taught elementary, middle, and high school string classes for two years. Upon her marriage, she moved to Texas and taught middle school orchestra for seven years in the Katy Independent School District where she received numerous awards for her performance groups. Ms. Diehn recently spent seventeen years in Spartanburg District Six where her performance groups earned consistent superior ratings at Concert Festival, Carowinds Festival, and her Chamber Orchestras performed twice at the SCMEA Convention and the South Carolina Middle School Conference. Ms. Diehn taught the last three years in District Five at D.R. Hill where her students received the 2022 Outstanding Performance Award. Currently Ms. Diehn is teaching orchestra at McCracken Middle School in Spartanburg, District 7. Jennifer Diehn is a SC Region Conductor, and she enjoys leading middle school groups. Ms. Diehn teaches private cello lessons, sings in her church choir, performs for local churches, and attempts to keep up with her two grown sons, Nathan and Thomas.
Ms. Candace Henry
Candace Henry has dedicated 23 years to teaching string orchestra in South Carolina public schools. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Converse University and a Master of Education degree from Anderson University. She is also certified in Suzuki Violin Book 1 through Furman University. In addition to being a string orchestra teacher, Candace also served as a choir director
and maintained a private violin studio for 17 years.A graduate of the Greenville County Schools orchestra program, Candace began studying violin at the age of nine with Ray McGhee Sr.. Throughout her formative years, she performed with the Greenville County Youth Orchestra and
Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Gary Robinson, attended the SouthCarolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities, where she studied privately with Eun-Sun Lee, and was selected for the South Carolina All-State Orchestra during all four years of high school. She also attended the Fine Arts Center, studying chamber music with John Ravnan and music theory with Jon Grier, while continuing private violin studies with Kathleen Robinson. While attending Converse, Candace performed with the Converse Sinfonietta Orchestra under the direction of Jack Bowman and taught private violin lessons through the Alia Lawson Pre-College program. Upon graduation, she joined
Anderson School District One as an orchestra director, where she has played a pivotal role in expanding opportunities for young string musicians. Students under Candace's instruction have earned selection to All-County, Region, and All-State Orchestras, and have performed with the Anderson Symphony Orchestra and the Carolina Youth Symphony. Her students have also been accepted into the ARMES Arts Center and the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities. Many of her former students have continued their musical studies at Furman University, Lander University, Emmanuel University, Winthrop University, and Anderson University, pursuing degrees in musicperformance and music education.Candace was instrumental in transforming the Anderson One strings program,leading its expansion from a single teacher to a team of six educators. Throughher vision and dedication, districtwide beginner strings enrollment grew from just36 students to 178 students by the 2025–2026 school year, establishing a thriving program that has expanded access to high-quality string education forhundreds of students.Candace has served for several years as the site chair for the Anderson AreaSolo and Ensemble Festival and is an active member of the South CarolinaMusic Educators Association Orchestra Division. Throughout her career, herstudents have consistently earned Superior and Excellent ratings at Solo andEnsemble Festivals as well as the South Carolina Concert PerformanceAssessment, reflecting her commitment to excellence in music education andstudent achievement. In addition to her public school teaching, Candacetaught Suzuki violin group classes at the Montessori School of Anderson duringthe 2010–2011 school year, further demonstrating her dedication to developingyoung musicians through a variety of instructional settings.In her spare time, Candace enjoys being with her family, traveling, and spoilingher Yorkie, Max.
Dr. Theresa Jenkins-Russ
Dr. Theresa Jenkins-Russ is a professional violinist in classical and alternative styles. Dr. Jenkins-Russ is also an educator, conductor and an author. Dr. Jenkins-Russ received her B.A. in Violin Performance from Wheaton College in 1985. While there, she studied with Nancy Cirillo at New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. In 1987, she earned her first M.S. in Music Education from Long Island University in New York. She began working on a Doctorate Degree in Education from Hofstra University. In 2012 Dr. Jenkins-Russ completed course work through Converse University for a M.S. degree of Secondary Educational Administration. In 2024 Dr. Jenkins-Russ earned her Ed.D, Doctor of Education Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Capella University. Dr. Jenkins-Russ’s teaching career began in 1987, teaching orchestra in several Long Island Schools. From 1993-2003 she taught High School and Middle School Orchestra in Arlington, Virginia public schools.
While in Arlington, she was appointed the orchestra coordinator of her pyramid and conducted the Arlington High School district-wide Honors Orchestra, which frequently performed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. While in Boston, New York and Virginia Dr. Jenkins-Russ preformed with several professional orchestras, including the Brockton Symphony, the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic, the Pan-American Symphony, the Nassau Pops Orchestra, the South Shore Symphony, and the West Islip Chamber Orchestra. In 1993 Dr. Jenkins-Russ began nurturing and developing her jazz strings skills by studying with several artists including Mr. David Balakrishnan and other members of the Turtle Island Quartet, Dr. Billy Taylor, Mr. John Blake, Jr. and Mr. Christian Howes. In 2003-present, Dr. Jenkins-Russ joined the Spartanburg District 7 orchestra staff, teaching at Spartanburg High School and Whitlock Jr. High. Currently Dr. Jenkins-Russ teaches at four elementary schools teaching fifth grade strings while assisting at one middle school. In 2015-present, Dr. Jenkins-Russ began teaching at Converse University’s the Lawson Academy of the Arts. At Lawson Dr. Jenkins-Russ is the director of the Lawson Chamber Ensemble and maintains a private studio teaching all age ranges of students including adults. The Lawson Chamber Ensemble has performed numerous times including the annual Talent Expressions Competition. Dr. Jenkins-Russ has held positions in the professional music community, including being President of the SC American String Teachers Association (ASTA) from 2010-2012 and serving on its Board of Directors from 2006-2014. Dr. Jenkins-Russ from 2006-present serves at the Southeast Representative for NS Design Electric Instruments. In 2012 Dr. Jenkins-Russ was selected to conduct the Region 2 (Greenville) 7th-9th grade SCMEA Region Orchestra. Dr. Jenkins-Russ has written articles for national publications including Strings Magazine, International Association for Jazz Education publication, American String Teacher Journal (ASTA) and the SC ASTA Newsletter, of which she was the editor.
In 2006-2014 Dr. Jenkins-Russ organized and conducted the professional group The Carolina Cool Jazz Orchestra, which consisted of professional musicians from North and South Carolina. This group brought in several guest artists and performed at various venues including the Chapman Cultural Center, Charlotte’s Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, and Twichell Auditorium.
Dr. Jenkins-Russ lives in Spartanburg with her husband Leon and their dog Farley.
Mr. John Kvasnicka
Mr. Kvasnicka teaches at Mary H. Wright Elementary, and Carver Middle school for Spartanburg School District Seven. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina. He has worked for the USC String Project, Lexington School District Two, Sumter School District Two, Richland School District One, and Union County Schools. Mr. K (as his students address him) has played for the USC Symphony Orchestra as well as the Greater Spartanburg Philharmonic as a string bass player. Mr. Kvasnicka has served as All-State Chairman of the South Carolina Music Educators Association and is currently the SCMEA Orchestra Division Region Representative for Region One. He also maintains a private studio of students ranging from beginning to advanced levels.
Ms. Angela Rex
Angela M. Rex is a native of Greenville, SC and currently teaches with the Spartanburg School District Seven orchestra team, at McCracken Middle School and various elementary schools.
Prior to coming to District Seven, Ms. Rex led the orchestra program at Riverside Middle School. Under her direction, the orchestras at RMS earned consistent Superior ratings at SCMEA Concert Performance Assessment, Grand Champion ratings at OrlandoFest and a 5th place finish at the 2025 National Orchestra Festival. Ms. Rex also served as a co-director of the Riverside Middle School Symphony, one of only three middle school full orchestras that meet regularly in South Carolina. In 2019, the Riverside Middle School Symphony was selected to perform at the SCMEA Professional Development Conference.
Prior to teaching at Riverside, Ms. Rex taught orchestra at Hillcrest High School and Bryson Middle School, from 2007-2012, increasing the orchestra program enrollment by 150%.
Before returning to Greenville to teach, Ms. Rex taught at Western Kentucky University and served as elementary strings coordinator in Spartanburg School District 7 from 2000-2005.Ms. Rex earned her bachelors in Violin Performance from Appalachian State University and her master’s degree in Violin Performance from Converse College. During her 25 plus years as an educator, Ms. Rex has served as a guest conductor for Region and All-County orchestra events throughout South Carolina, North Carolina, and Kentucky. Ms. Rex has been selected as Teacher of the Year and third runner-up for Greenville County’s TOY, a semi-finalist for the Grammy Music Educator of the Year Award the PTSA Teacher of the Year at Riverside Middle. Outside of teaching, Ms. Rex enjoys working in her yard and gardening.