> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Samohi conductor honored
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/samohi-conductor-honored/
- Published: 2004-01-22T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T03:38:19.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Education, Malibu, #archive-import

*By Daily Press staff*

Santa Monica’s high school orchestra conductor has been recognized as a top music educator of the year in California.

Joni Swenson, director of orchestras at Santa Monica High School, has been honored with the “2004 California Music Educators Association Leblanc Orchestra Educator of the Year Award.” She was nominated for the award by fellow music educators from around the state and was selected as the winner by the CMEA State Board. She will be accepting her award in Sacramento on March 19.

Swenson came to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District in September 2002, where she served as orchestra director for 10 years at Lincoln High School in San Jose. While teaching at Lincoln High, she brought her groups to London and Carnegie Hall. Swenson is often called upon to adjudicate and conduct student groups at festivals all over the state. She served as the vice president of the California Orchestra Directors Association and on the board of the CMEA’s Bay and Capital sections.

In 2001, San Francisco-based classical radio station KDFC awarded Swenson the “Music Educator of the Year” award.

This year Swenson will be traveling to Prague to lead the Santa Monica High School Symphony Orchestra in a performance.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 22, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/012204.pdf?ref=smdp.com)