Mr. Boitz
Saratoga High School Director of Orchestras
Michael Boitz is serving in his 26th year leading the Instrumental Music Program at Saratoga High School, of which he served as Department Chair for the Visual and Performing Arts Department for 21 years. Mr. Boitz taught in his native Minnesota before arriving to take over the program at Saratoga High School in August 1998. Saratoga High School Instrumental Music Ensembles have developed a reputation for excellence at the state, national, and international level under his leadership. Mr. Boitz’s musical responsibilities at Saratoga High School include overseeing all aspects of the Music Department, involving over 40% of the 1,180 students enrolled at Saratoga High. He has served as Director of Bands 1998-2019 and Director of Orchestra’s 1998-present, and continues to work with both Bands and Orchestras as he did upon arrival 26 years ago. Saratoga High School currently has 4 directors, but Mr. Boitz continues to split his load between the Band and Orchestra program in an effort to keep all aspects of the Saratoga High School instrumental music program vibrant and fully supported.
Mr. Boitz has been awarded the Teacher-of-the-Year by the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District, the California Music Educators Association Bay Section Gilbert T. Freitas Award for Excellence in Music Education, the California Music Educators Association Richard L. Levin Orchestra Educator of the Year Award, the California Music Educators Association Band Educator of the Year award, the California Music Educators Association Bay Section Educator of the Year award, the University of Chicago Outstanding Educator Award, and has been inducted into the John Phillip Sousa Legion of Honor. Mr. Boitz and his path at Saratoga High School is one of the featured chapters of author and lecturer Scott Lang’s Book, Leader of the Band.
Mr. Boitz has led concert tours to Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Slovenia, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Australia. International festivals have included the WASBE (World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles) Conference in Prague, CZ in 2022, Utrecht, NL in 2017, the World Music Contest in Kerkrade, NL, twice the Mid-Europe Music Festival in Schladming, AT, twice the Jungfrau Music Festival in Interlachen, CH, twice the former Vienna Youth in Music Festival in Vienna, AT, and the IMAGO Music Festival in Ljubljana, SI. Performance venues have included the Musikverein in Vienna, AU, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, NL, the Palau de Musica in Barcelona, SE, the Konzertsaal in Lucerne, CH, the Kursaal in Donostia/San Sebastian, SE, the Palau de la Musica in Valencia, SE, the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, AU, and Carnegie Hall in New York.
Under Mr Boitz’s leadership, the SHS Symphonic Wind Ensemble has also performed at multiple state and regional conferences, and has earned consistent Unanimous Superior ratings since 1999. The advanced orchestra at Saratoga High School, Saratoga Strings, has performed twice at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago (2014, 2018), and in December 2023 will become one of the few High Schools in the U.S. to perform three times at the 2023 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. The Saratoga High School Marching Band has performed at both the nationally televised Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (2012), and the internationally televised Tournament of Roses Parade (2016), along with multiple Bands of America Regional Championships, of which Saratoga was the West Coast Regional Champion in 2015.
Mr. Boitz serves regularly as a Guest Conductor for High School and Junior High Regional Honor Bands and Orchestras on the West Coast, presented Clinic Sessions for WASBE (World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles) in Hungary and the Czech Republic, presented Clinic Sessions and Rehearsal Labs at the Midwest Clinic, and serves as Adjudicator and Clinician for multiple associations throughout the U.S. He has been honored to conduct All-State Bands and Orchestras in California, Nevada, Indiana, and Oregon. Mr. Boitz has personally been awarded Honorary Commendations from the City of Saratoga, as well as the Band Program and Orchestra Program at SHS have been awarded Honorary Commendations from the City of Saratoga.
Mr. Boitz completed undergraduate and graduate studies at Concordia College (Bachelor of Music) in Moorhead Minnesota and Northwestern University (MA) in Evanston, IL, respectively. His teachers and mentors of greatest influence have included Dr. Mallory Thompson, Dr. Russell Pesola, Dr. J. Robert Hanson, Dr. Frank Bencriscutto, Dr. Lawrence Sutherland, Dr. Ed Huttlin, Mr. John Lace, Mr. Mike Hiatt, Mr. Gordon Nilsen, and Mr. Peter Dahlstrom. Michael Boitz was born and raised in Anoka, MN, and is a proud graduate of Anoka High School.
Mr. Boitz has been awarded the Teacher-of-the-Year by the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District, the California Music Educators Association Bay Section Gilbert T. Freitas Award for Excellence in Music Education, the California Music Educators Association Richard L. Levin Orchestra Educator of the Year Award, the California Music Educators Association Band Educator of the Year award, the California Music Educators Association Bay Section Educator of the Year award, the University of Chicago Outstanding Educator Award, and has been inducted into the John Phillip Sousa Legion of Honor. Mr. Boitz and his path at Saratoga High School is one of the featured chapters of author and lecturer Scott Lang’s Book, Leader of the Band.
Mr. Boitz has led concert tours to Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Slovenia, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Australia. International festivals have included the WASBE (World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles) Conference in Prague, CZ in 2022, Utrecht, NL in 2017, the World Music Contest in Kerkrade, NL, twice the Mid-Europe Music Festival in Schladming, AT, twice the Jungfrau Music Festival in Interlachen, CH, twice the former Vienna Youth in Music Festival in Vienna, AT, and the IMAGO Music Festival in Ljubljana, SI. Performance venues have included the Musikverein in Vienna, AU, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, NL, the Palau de Musica in Barcelona, SE, the Konzertsaal in Lucerne, CH, the Kursaal in Donostia/San Sebastian, SE, the Palau de la Musica in Valencia, SE, the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, AU, and Carnegie Hall in New York.
Under Mr Boitz’s leadership, the SHS Symphonic Wind Ensemble has also performed at multiple state and regional conferences, and has earned consistent Unanimous Superior ratings since 1999. The advanced orchestra at Saratoga High School, Saratoga Strings, has performed twice at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago (2014, 2018), and in December 2023 will become one of the few High Schools in the U.S. to perform three times at the 2023 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. The Saratoga High School Marching Band has performed at both the nationally televised Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (2012), and the internationally televised Tournament of Roses Parade (2016), along with multiple Bands of America Regional Championships, of which Saratoga was the West Coast Regional Champion in 2015.
Mr. Boitz serves regularly as a Guest Conductor for High School and Junior High Regional Honor Bands and Orchestras on the West Coast, presented Clinic Sessions for WASBE (World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles) in Hungary and the Czech Republic, presented Clinic Sessions and Rehearsal Labs at the Midwest Clinic, and serves as Adjudicator and Clinician for multiple associations throughout the U.S. He has been honored to conduct All-State Bands and Orchestras in California, Nevada, Indiana, and Oregon. Mr. Boitz has personally been awarded Honorary Commendations from the City of Saratoga, as well as the Band Program and Orchestra Program at SHS have been awarded Honorary Commendations from the City of Saratoga.
Mr. Boitz completed undergraduate and graduate studies at Concordia College (Bachelor of Music) in Moorhead Minnesota and Northwestern University (MA) in Evanston, IL, respectively. His teachers and mentors of greatest influence have included Dr. Mallory Thompson, Dr. Russell Pesola, Dr. J. Robert Hanson, Dr. Frank Bencriscutto, Dr. Lawrence Sutherland, Dr. Ed Huttlin, Mr. John Lace, Mr. Mike Hiatt, Mr. Gordon Nilsen, and Mr. Peter Dahlstrom. Michael Boitz was born and raised in Anoka, MN, and is a proud graduate of Anoka High School.
