Dr. Lemonds Honored as Top Georgia Strings Teacher

Dr. Peter Lemonds, Duluth High School orchestra teacher, continues to earn accolades.

A veteran educator with nearly 30 years in the classroom, Lemonds was recently honored by his colleagues from across the state with a top teaching award. The American String Teachers Association-Georgia Chapter named Dr. Lemonds the 2013 Educator of the Year.

Since 2000, Dr. Peter Lemonds has been part of the Duluth HS faculty. He currently serves as co-director of orchestras. He also is the lead teacher for school orchestras in Gwinnett County Public Schools, a leadership role he has held since 2003.

Under his direction, Duluth High School orchestras have been selected for a number of performances including the prestigious Georgia Music Educators Convention in Savannah and the National Orchestra Festival, according to a news release issued by GCPS.

In 2011, Yale University honored Dr. Lemonds with the school’s “Yale
Distinguished Music Educator” award. That honor was followed in 2012 with
recognition by School Band and Orchestra Magazine, which named him one of
the “50 Directors who make a Difference.” 

Dr. Lemonds earned a doctoral degree in musical arts from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music; a master’s degree in music from Louisiana State University, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology and music from the University of the South in Sewanee, TN.

Before joining the school district in 1999, Dr. Lemonds was a professor at Emory University, the University of Southern Mississippi, and Agnes Scott College.

In addition to his many years in the classroom, Dr. Lemonds also has a
career on stage. The cellist and conductor has performed in numerous
concerts as a soloist and chamber musician in the United States, England,
France, Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Mexico, and Korea.