Mr. Alvarez founded the Gaither High School Conservatory of Music and Leadership.
He has been an educator for 17 years and is currently the Director of Bands at Gaither High School in Tampa, Florida. His responsibilities include: directing the Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble, co-directing the Concert Band and Marching Band, and teaching Music Technology and Introduction to Music (dual enrollment).
While at Gaither, his ensembles have consistently received Straight Superior Ratings at District and State Music Performance Assessments. In 2017, the Wind Ensemble performed at Carnegie Hall. In 2019, the Gaither Wind Ensemble became the Grand National Champion at the Grand National Adjudicator’s Invitational in Atlanta. In 2022, the Gaither Wind Ensemble performed at the UCF Music For All Regional in Orlando, FL. In 2023, the Wind Ensemble was one of two bands invited to perform at the USF Festival of Winds.
Mr. Alvarez founded the Gaither High School Conservatory of Music and Leadership. This program hopes to inspire the development of leadership skills in young adults while enriching their minds with music to establish a sense of individual responsibility.
Before teaching at Gaither, Mr. Alvarez was the Director of Bands at A.P. Leto High School in Tampa, Florida where his responsibilities included directing the Symphonic Winds, Jazz Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Marching Band, Chorus, and Orchestra. In 2014, Mr. Alvarez was voted Teacher of the Year for Leto High School and was a Finalist for Teacher of the Year for Hillsborough County. During his time there, his ensembles consistently received Superior ratings at the Florida Bandmasters Association (FBA) District Marching and Music Assessments. In 2013, the Symphonic Winds also received their only Superior at the FBA State Music Assessment in the program’s history. In 2013, the Leto High School Music Program also received the Community Award from the Grammy Education Foundation.
Mr. Alvarez has performed with various ensembles, including Chuck Owen and The Jazz Surge, The Harry James Orchestra, the Sarasota Opera, and the Florida Wind Band. Mr. Alvarez toured Europe as a member of the University of South Florida’s Jazz Ensemble and Jazztet. Those tours included performances in famous jazz venues such as the Montreaux Music Festival, The North Sea Jazz Festival, the Umbria Jazz Festival, and the Vienne Jazz Festival. In 2013, Mr. Alvarez was a part of the River Runs album as a member of the Jazz Surge, which was nominated for 2 Grammys.
Mr. Alvarez holds a Master of Music Performance and a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of South Florida. He is an active member of the Florida Music Education Association (FMEA) and the Florida Bandmasters Association (FBA).