Meet the Director - Doug Longman

Doug Longman trained as a violinist/violist at Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory in Cleveland, Ohio, and University of Southern California in Los Angeles. After teaching for four years in Southern California, he moved north and was hired as a general music teacher by the Issaquah School District in the fall of 1978. The Issaquah school district at that time was emerging from a double levy loss that had forced the elimination of many programs, including orchestra several years before. Kateri Brow, school superintendent, gave Doug the green light to start an orchestra program in the fall of 1983, and a fifth grade program was initiated in all six of the district's elementary schools. As those fifth graders matriculated up through the middle schools and high schools, Doug went with them, and more orchestra teachers were hired to teach the subsequent years of orchestra students. 

In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Doug served for more than 30 years as principal second violin with Philharmonia Northwest , a chamber orchestra based in Seattle. He is a strong believer in the idea that consistent performance and conducting are skills that enhance each other, and he encourages his students to be involved in as many aspects of musical performance as possible, especially chamber music.