Music at Monta Vista

John Gilchrist currently serves as the instrumental music director at Monta Vista High School. Born and raised in Pacifica, CA, John is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area. Mr. Gilchrist earned his BM in Music Education from San Jose State University, where he also studied percussion under the mentorship of Galen Lemmon. During his time at SJSU, Mr. Gilchrist served as principal percussionist of the SJSU Wind Ensemble and won several awards for his playing. Notably among them: First prize in the California PAS Marimba Competition, and First Place in the 2016 SJSU Concerto Competition. Following his undergraduate studies, Mr. Gilchrist would later go on to complete his student teaching at Homestead and Lynbrook High Schools. Before settling at Monta Vista, John spent one year teaching band and percussion at Milpitas High School. In his time at Monta Vista High School John has taken his groups to perform at Carnegie Hall, the Royal Conservatory of Music in London England, the Royal Scottish Symphony Hall in Glasgow, the California All State Music Education Conference (CASMEC), and the internationally acclaimed Midwest Clinic in Chicago, Illinois. In 2023, John was presented the Gilbert T. Freidas Award by the California Music Educators' Association (CMEA) Bay Section for outstanding music educator with under 7 years of teaching experience. In 2024, he was awarded the Richard L. Levin Orchestra Educator Award by the California Music Educators Association. In addition to teaching, John stays an active performer, playing regularly with San Jose Wind Symphony and as a regular performer with numerous professional ensembles throughout the Bay Area.