Dr. Selim Giray serves as Director of Orchestral Studies, Professor of Music, and the Head of Strings at the University of Mississippi. Dr. Giray conducts the University Symphony, teaches courses in graduate and undergraduate conducting, and string pedagogy. Giray has been serving as Vice Chair of American String Teachers Association’s National Orchestra Festival—in accordance with the standard rotation schedule, in 2026 and 2027, Giray will serve as the Chair of the ASTA NOA. In 2026, Giray was awarded second place in The American Prize National Competition for Orchestral Programming—The Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award—and has been a national finalist in three other conducting categories. Also in 2026, Dr. Giray conducted the Georgia 11^th & 12^th Grade High School All-State String Orchestra. In 2024, he conducted California High School All-State String Orchestra. He is invited to conduct Florida All-State High School (11–12) Honors Orchestra in 2028. Periodically, since 2023 Selim Giray has performed as cover conductor for the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. Previously, Giray served as Concertmaster and Assistant Conductor at the Ohio Light Opera. Giray is the co-author of Fundamentals of Instrumental and Choral Conducting (2025), and author of String Methods for Beginners (2020). Giray served on ASTA National Board as Member-at-Large (2020–2023). He is featured on numerous CDs and on Naxos Online Library. Giray studied the violin with Eliot Chapo, former Concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, Fritz Gearhart; and conducting with Dr. William Intriligator, and Roman Skřepek.