Orchestra Directors – Annual Membership
The California Orchestra Directors Association exists to promote school orchestras in California by providing quality honor orchestra experiences for school orchestra students, facilitating an exchange of instructional strategies and ideas for the school orchestra director, and providing a forum and community for school orchestra directors.
Become a member today (2021-22 memberships begin on July 1st) and help take an active role in supporting students, educators, and school orchestra programs across the state of California.
Click here to view membership class information and here to join the organization or renew your membership.
CODA December Honor Orchestra 2021
We look forward to the return of our annual high school December Honor Orchestra event this year. As an updated event for 2021 given ongoing safety protocols, we will be hosting two in-person, simultaneous, one-day events on December 4th, 2021. One will take place in Northern California, and one in Southern California; students from Central CA will have the option to choose which event they would be able to travel to. Both in-person Honor Orchestras will have the opportunity to hear the other ensemble play in an all-new concert format. Stay tuned for details – audition materials are linked below and will be due September 30!
Event Locations:
Northern California- Palo Alto, CA
Southern California- John Adams MS Performing Arts Center, Santa Monica, CA
For your planning purposes, the both locations’ events will start with student check-in at 8:30am and the approximate end of the concert will be 6:00pm.
New All-State Ensemble: Junior High Concert Orchestra
CODA is excited to announce a second All-State ensemble for 7th and 8th grade students! The new Junior High All-State Concert Orchestra will premiere at the 2022 CASMEC Conference, as a second group addition to our existing Junior High All-State String Orchestra. CODA has been fortunate to receive large pools of auditioning students over the last few years, and we are excited to open a second opportunity to include more students in the All-State experience.
Junior High School orchestra directors – this is a great year to encourage your students to audition for All-State! The Junior High excerpts have been updated to encourage accessibility – please do encourage your students to take a look and consider auditioning!
2021/22 Audition Excerpts and Applications
CODA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives
CODA serves to promote school orchestras in California by providing quality honor orchestra experiences for school orchestra students. Music continues to be a vehicle to bring our communities together in the ongoing effort to end systemic racism, discrimination, and injustice. We believe that our students deserve respect and representation inclusive of race, religion, socio-economic status, sexuality, and gender identity. CODA also facilitates an exchange of instructional strategies and ideas for the school orchestra director and provides a community and forum for school orchestra directors. We pledge to center the discussion of diversity, equity, and inclusion in our ensembles, classroom culture, and music libraries.
Our goal is to help increase access to quality orchestral experiences for all students. Our proposed long-term plans toward increased diversity, equity, and inclusion include:
1. Conductor Diversity
2. Repertoire Recommendation for Honor Orchestras
3. Financial Barriers for Honor Orchestra Participation
4. Teacher Education Regarding Diversity
5. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair & Resources
Click here to learn more about our initiatives.
Join us on Facebook! 
2021-22 CODA Events
December CODA Honor Orchestra
December 4, 2021
Northern California- Palo Alto, CA
Southern California- John Adams MS Performing Arts Center, Santa Monica, CA
CODA All-State Honor Orchestras
February 17-20, 2022, Fresno, CA
CODA High School All-State Symphony Orchestra, Laura Jackson, Conductor
CODA High School All-State String Orchestra, Kayoko Dan, Conductor
CODA Junior High School All-State String Orchestra, Dr. Rebecca MacLeod, Conductor
CODA Junior High School All-State Concert Orchestra, LaSaundra Booth, Conductor