Spring Strings

February 27 & 28, 2026

Deadline: February 20, 2026

The Spring Strings Honors Orchestra is offered at no cost to students who are invited or nominated. To nominate a student to participate, please contact Dr. Karen Becker: kbecker2@unl.edu

Student Registration Here: 2026 Spring Strings Registration

 2026 String Teacher Workshop Registration

GKSOM Spring Strings Honors Orchestra

String teachers are invited to nominate their high school string students to participated in the fourteenth Annual Honors Spring Strings Festival hosted by the Glenn Korff School of Music at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will take place on February 27 & 28, 2026 for high school students.

Dr. Ruben Balboa will serve as the 2026 guest conductor

Dr. Balboa is a violist, conductor, and educator recognized by the American Viola Society as both an Emerging Artist (2021) and Emerging Teacher (2022). He serves as Assistant Professor of Viola/Violin and String Music Education at Wichita State University, where he teaches applied lessons, string pedagogy, and string rehearsal methods. He has held faculty appointments at The University of Texas at Austin, Illinois State University, Texas State University, and Southwestern University. At UT Austin, he served as Lecturer of Viola and Assistant Director of the UT String Project and led curriculum design, faculty development, and pedagogy training for students from the undergraduate through doctoral levels. He has conducted university orchestras, youth orchestras, and All-Region ensembles. In 2025, The American Prize recognized him nationally as a finalist in orchestral conducting.

His work spans university instruction, youth orchestras, community music programs, and regional honor ensembles. He has led and taught in programs such as the Illinois State String Project, Austin Youth Orchestra, Austin Chamber Music Center, Wichita Symphony Youth Orchestras, and Longhorn String Camp. Students under his guidance earn success as educators, graduate students, and professional performers, and pre-college students regularly achieve All-State placement and superior Solo & Ensemble ratings. Balboa contributes to the field through presentations at ASTA, the International Viola Congress, and the National String Project Consortium. He serves on the Board of the American Viola Society and frequently performs in recital with his wife, soprano Dr. Samantha Balboa.