David Doke is a dedicated and accomplished music educator with over 30 years of experience in orchestra program development, conducting, and music education. He holds the notable achievement of starting two high school orchestra programs in the Cobb County (GA) School District. He began his teaching career in 1994 as the founding director of the North Cobb High School Orchestra, where he taught for 12 years. In 2006, he established the Hillgrove High School Orchestra, serving as Director of Orchestras, Advanced Placement Music Theory teacher, and Fine Arts Department Chair until his retirement in 2024.
Dr. Doke is passionate about providing students with unique and transformative musical experiences. Under his direction, the Hillgrove and North Cobb orchestras performed at the GMEA State Conference on three occasions, and at prestigious venues including Orchestra Hall in Chicago, Symphony Hall in Boston, the Kennedy Center in Washington, and multiple appearances at Carnegie Hall. He also led his students on international performance tours of China, France, and Iceland. He has been director for the University of Georgia Summer Music Institute, and guest conductor for honor orchestras across several states.
In addition to his work in the classroom, Dr. Doke is a sought-after clinician, conductor and performance evaluator. His commitment to innovative teaching methods led to a featured interview on CNN Headline News, where he discussed the integration of alternative styles and technology in music education. He currently serves as an Alfred Music National Clinician.
Prior to his career in education, Dr. Doke had a distinguished career as a professional violinist, performing with orchestras around the world including the Springfield (MO) Symphony, the Rockford (IL) Symphony, the Georgia Symphony, the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, la Orquest Sinfonica del Estado de Mexico, the Mexico Philharmonic, la Orquesta Filarmónica de la UNAM in Mexico City, and the American Institute of Music Studies in Graz, Austria. His versatility also extends to alternative styles, having performed fiddle and mandolin with country music legend Ray Price. He continues to work as a freelance violinist in the Atlanta area.
Dr. Doke was awarded the 2003 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Honor Teacher Award and was recognized as STAR Teacher at Hillgrove High School in 2012 and 2024. He holds a Doctorate in Music Education from Boston University, Master of Music in Violin Performance from DePaul University, and Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from the Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri–Kansas City.
