Biographies

Carrie Ann Carlson

Carrie Ann Carlson retired in 2019 after 22 years as Director of Orchestras at Portage High School in Portage, Indiana.The orchestras maintained an active traditional performance schedule under her direction, participating in all Indiana State School Music Association events as well as exploring alternative styles, participating in the ISSMA Jazz Contest and preparing their own annual “Zetafest” rock orchestra concert! She also taught class piano, music appreciation and music technology. The role Carrie played in bringing music technology to PHS began with a four year collaboration as an educator clinician for Zeta Music Systems. As a Zeta educator clinician, she presented numerous clinics at national and regional music conferences teaching fellow music educators how to incorporate electronic instruments into the traditional music curriculum. The PHS orchestra was once featured in an article for The Band and Orchestra Product News as “The Orchestra of the Future.” In 2015 Carlson was the recipient of the Indiana American String Teacher Association’s High School Orchestra Teacher of the Year award. She has conducted two All-Region Honor Orchestras, served as coordinator of the Indiana All-State Orchestra, presented clinics at both National and State American String Teacher Association conventions and served as a judge for ISSMA Solo and Ensemble contests. Professionally, Carrie performs as a violinist with the LaPorte County Symphony Orchestra, Whiting Park Festival Orchestra, Elkhart County Symphony Orchestra, South Shore Symphony Orchestra and Symphony of the Lakes. She is beginning her third year as director of the Northwest Indiana Rusty Strings Community Orchestra and is active with the Aspire String Trio and the newly formed Shockwave Rock Orchestra. Her educational background includes a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Indiana State University, a Master’s Degree in Music and Sonata Literature from Notre Dame University and an Artist Diploma in Orchestral Literature from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA.

Carlson and fellow Zeta violinist Lewis Stahl were featured in December of 2024 performing the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s “Wizards in Winter” with the LaPorte County Symphony Orchestra. You can catch them this year performing more Trans-Siberian Orchestra pieces for two concerts on December 20th with the South Shore Symphony Orchestra during their Holiday Pops at the Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso, IN.