Jay-Martin Pinner graduated from Bob Jones University with a B.A. in Church Music, violin principal, and an
M.A. in Violin Performance. While attending BJU he studied violin and viola with Joan Mulfinger (a
student of Louis Krasner at the Eastman School of Music). He also studied cello with George
Mulfinger (a student of Orlando Cole at the Curtis Institute of Music). George and his wife performed inthe Krasner String Quartet. Jay was appointed to be the interim conductor for the Concertato and Sinfonia Orchestras for the South Carolina Governors School for the Arts and Humanities, 2019-2020.
After graduating from BJU, Jay taught pre-college and university students as a member of the string
faculty and founded the Bob Jones Junior High Orchestra as well as the Bob Jones Academy Orchestra.
Under his direction for 28 years the BJA String Orchestra and Symphony grew from 13 students to over
100 students, consistently earning Superior ratings at the South Carolina Concert Festival and having
the highest student acceptance rate into Region and All-State Orchestra of any public or private schools in South Carolina.
In 1979, he and his wife, Dianne, co-founded the BJU Summer Music Camps, now a flourishing three
week summer program that includes elementary, middle school and high school divisions for choir,
band, string orchestra, piano, and handbells.
In 1989, they also founded Pinner Publications, a sheet music publishing company that focuses on
educational materials such as string flashcards and graded string orchestra compositions, as well as arrangements of string solos, duets, string quartets and orchestra music for church musicians.
Jay served as head of the string department at Bob Jones University and as coordinator of the pre-
college string/orchestra program for 25 years. Under his leadership the BJU string department grew 90% in 10 years. Jay appeared as soloist, concertmaster, principal viola, principal double bass and
conductor with the BJU Symphony Orchestra, and for five seasons played principal viola with the
Greenville Symphony Orchestra. He conducted the BJU Symphony Orchestra in concert performances,
opera productions and on tour. He has served as a clinician, adjudicator, or conductor for District,
Regional, All-State, and Honors Orchestras, and for orchestra festivals in Illinois, Michigan, South
Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. Jay studied conducting with Dwight Gustafson, Dean of the
School of Fine Arts at BJU, and went on to receive training from Donald Portnoy, conductor of the USC Symphony Orchestra, and Samuel Jones, founder and first Dean of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University.Jay served as president of the South Carolina Chapter of the American String Teachers Association, as a board member (private studio representative) and as editor for the SCMEA Festival String Orchestra List. His composition Downtown Suite for Strings won the National School Orchestra Association Composition Contest and was chosen for inclusion in the book, Teaching Music Through Performance in Orchestra, as one of “100 of the most significant works for strings and full orchestra...” The South Carolina Chapter of the American String Teachers Association commissioned him to write Fanfare & Allegro for Strings, which was premiered by the South Carolina Junior All-State String Orchestra. His compositions and arrangements have appeared in the catalogs of several publishers, including David E. Smith, SoundForth, and Alfred. Jay is listed in Who’s Who in American Music. In 2011, he was named Studio Teacher of the Year, by the South Carolina Chapter of the American String Teachers Association. Many of his students are successful performers and teachers.
Jay was appointed to be the interim conductor for the concertato and sinfonia orchestras for the South carolina governors school for the arts and humanities, 2019-2020.
M.A. in Violin Performance. While attending BJU he studied violin and viola with Joan Mulfinger (a
student of Louis Krasner at the Eastman School of Music). He also studied cello with George
Mulfinger (a student of Orlando Cole at the Curtis Institute of Music). George and his wife performed inthe Krasner String Quartet. Jay was appointed to be the interim conductor for the Concertato and Sinfonia Orchestras for the South Carolina Governors School for the Arts and Humanities, 2019-2020.
After graduating from BJU, Jay taught pre-college and university students as a member of the string
faculty and founded the Bob Jones Junior High Orchestra as well as the Bob Jones Academy Orchestra.
Under his direction for 28 years the BJA String Orchestra and Symphony grew from 13 students to over
100 students, consistently earning Superior ratings at the South Carolina Concert Festival and having
the highest student acceptance rate into Region and All-State Orchestra of any public or private schools in South Carolina.
In 1979, he and his wife, Dianne, co-founded the BJU Summer Music Camps, now a flourishing three
week summer program that includes elementary, middle school and high school divisions for choir,
band, string orchestra, piano, and handbells.
In 1989, they also founded Pinner Publications, a sheet music publishing company that focuses on
educational materials such as string flashcards and graded string orchestra compositions, as well as arrangements of string solos, duets, string quartets and orchestra music for church musicians.
Jay served as head of the string department at Bob Jones University and as coordinator of the pre-
college string/orchestra program for 25 years. Under his leadership the BJU string department grew 90% in 10 years. Jay appeared as soloist, concertmaster, principal viola, principal double bass and
conductor with the BJU Symphony Orchestra, and for five seasons played principal viola with the
Greenville Symphony Orchestra. He conducted the BJU Symphony Orchestra in concert performances,
opera productions and on tour. He has served as a clinician, adjudicator, or conductor for District,
Regional, All-State, and Honors Orchestras, and for orchestra festivals in Illinois, Michigan, South
Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. Jay studied conducting with Dwight Gustafson, Dean of the
School of Fine Arts at BJU, and went on to receive training from Donald Portnoy, conductor of the USC Symphony Orchestra, and Samuel Jones, founder and first Dean of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University.Jay served as president of the South Carolina Chapter of the American String Teachers Association, as a board member (private studio representative) and as editor for the SCMEA Festival String Orchestra List. His composition Downtown Suite for Strings won the National School Orchestra Association Composition Contest and was chosen for inclusion in the book, Teaching Music Through Performance in Orchestra, as one of “100 of the most significant works for strings and full orchestra...” The South Carolina Chapter of the American String Teachers Association commissioned him to write Fanfare & Allegro for Strings, which was premiered by the South Carolina Junior All-State String Orchestra. His compositions and arrangements have appeared in the catalogs of several publishers, including David E. Smith, SoundForth, and Alfred. Jay is listed in Who’s Who in American Music. In 2011, he was named Studio Teacher of the Year, by the South Carolina Chapter of the American String Teachers Association. Many of his students are successful performers and teachers.
Jay was appointed to be the interim conductor for the concertato and sinfonia orchestras for the South carolina governors school for the arts and humanities, 2019-2020.