GAMAC Leaders


R. Alexander Spainhour, III

Alex Spainhour :: Artistic Director, GAMAC Chamber Orchestra, Anderson Symphony Orchestra GAMAC Artistic Director
Musical Director
GAMAC Chamber Orchestra
Anderson Symphony Orchestra

Alex Spainhour was born February 28, 1947, in Richmond, Virginia. The family moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1949. He began study of the piano under the tutelage of his mother at the age of five. He began the study of the violin in the fifth grade in the public school orchestra program and studied privately with the late Dr. Robert Snyder. In 1969, Mr. Spainhour received a BA in music from Florida Presbyterian College (now Eckerd College), studying with Thomas and Eleanor Briccetti; in 1972, he received an M.M. in performance from Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis), again studying with Dr. Robert Snyder.

Mr. Spainhour came to Anderson in January, 1970, to teach public school orchestra in Anderson School District Number Five, a post he held until 1984. His orchestras and ensembles performed at numerous educational functions in South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and even Western Europe. Many of his students have pursued studies in music and music education. He has conducted All-State and Honor Orchestras in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee, and has been called on to adjudicate orchestral festivals throughout the Southeast.

Mr. Spainhour has been a member of the Charlotte Symphony, St. Petersburg Symphony, Memphis Symphony, Anderson Symphony, Asheville Symphony, Brevard Chamber Orchestra, and Hendersonville Symphony, which he conducted in June, 1992. He was co-conductor and co-founder of the Anderson Symphony, and co-founder and violinist with the Anderson String Quartet beginning in 1972, with whom he still performs. He is currently a member of the Greenville Symphony and performs as a free-lance violinist and soloist throughout much of the Southeast.

Mr. Spainhour currently serves as Artistic Director and Orchestra Director of the Greater Anderson Musical Arts Consortium (GAMAC); is an adjunct instructor of Violin at Anderson University, where he teaches violin and viola lessons, conducts string ensembles, and teaches string methods courses; is a co-owner of the Bernhardt House of Violins in Greenville, South Carolina; is a Past President of the Rotary Club of Anderson. In 1998, Mr. Spainhour was listed in the Who’s Who of business and arts. In 2005, he was honored as the Non-Profit Executive Director of the Year by the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce. He has been honored as a Paul Harris Fellow by his fellow Rotarians.

His wife, Ellen, is a retired public school Art teacher; his son, Nathan, is the interactive director for Torque Creative; his daughter, Erin, lives with her husband, Winston, in Greenville. Mr. Spainhour does extensive gardening, plays golf, and skis, among his many interests.

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