Scott Weiss, Director of Orchestras and professor at the University of South Carolina School of Music, received the Order of the Palmetto on Dec. 16, 2024, South Carolina's highest civilian honor.
The South Carolina governor presents the award in recognition of those who have served the state with excellence and made significant achievements. Weiss is one of multiple people who have been honored with the Order of the Palmetto for their contributions to South Carolina, including Gov. Henry McMaster himself.
Weiss was in attendance at a concert in the Koger Center when the prize was presented. Weiss said he was completely surprised; though, prior to being awarded the Order of the Palmetto, students and faculty started to question him about his work in order to get information about him, raising his suspicions.
“They took a break in the middle of the concert and awarded it to me,” Weiss said. “Having all these people that I really cared about there with me and then being awarded it on behalf of the governor of South Carolina was a pretty special moment.”
Weiss said he plans to continue "doing what I do" and has increased community involvement since receiving the award. Weiss recently started conducting for the South Carolina Ballet Orchestra, providing live music for each performance, because he said he will take advantage of every opportunity to contribute and support South Carolina in any way possible.
Weiss is passing up a national opportunity to conduct music outside of South Carolina, and is instead remaining in South Carolina to continue giving back to the local community. Weiss said community involvement in South Carolina is upmost important and a reason why he is humbled to receive the honor.
"I'm just gonna keep holding that date open for this project that we're gonna do here," Weiss said. "I think that's that's more important than even getting on an airplane and going somewhere and doing the same."
Weiss' achievement has a huge impact on the School of Music because the governor chooses the recipient among numerous nominations, so he has seen other musicians from the School of Music nominated for the award but not receive it, said Tayloe Harding, the dean of the School of Music.
"Scott is an absolutely brilliant musician, probably a musician of the the highest order," Harding said. "But that by itself would never be enough ... So I think he's won because he's made an enormous impact on the people that have performed with him, or for him or have listened to the people that he has prepared (to) perform."
Weiss' leadership has allowed the orchestra to mature and come together to form a vision for the school, Harding said. He also said students can now relate to one another and can see where Weiss' plans to lead them.
“When you go to a concert, you can love the music and sort of be moved by the music,” Harding said. “But being captivated by the community that’s built on that stage, it’s being realized that music is a whole different level beyond being moved by the music.”
Weiss embraced the school's history through the School of Music and enabled it to develop into what it is now, a community that comes together on stage, Harding said.
"He may be one of the finest faculty members with whom I've ever worked, because he's always focused on the right thing," Harding said. "He's been an extraordinary mentor, almost a second father, to two of my children who played in his ensembles while he's been here."
Weiss is also the director and conductor of the USC Symphony and Aiken Symphony. These symphonies include some USC graduates, and because Weiss received the award, a closer connection has been formed between students and alumni, Harding said.
Jordan Brooks, a second-year orchestral conducting graduate student and assistant conductor of the USC Symphony and Aiken Symphony, said Weiss always goes above and beyond with his work and getting to know community members.
“I didn’t know that people outside of the university were paying attention to that,” Brooks said. “The kind of things that he’s doing for the state, and for the arts and the community ... He absolutely deserves it.”
Weiss stands out as an instructor because he bases his teaching methods on his students needs, skills and responses to instruction, Brooks said. Brooks said Weiss doesn't teach students to become "miniature versions" of himself. Instead, Weiss will help students grow in their own unique style by working one-on-one with them.
Brooks said instead of telling students what they are doing is right or wrong, Weiss is able to ask them how he can help in the orchestra labs that are taught.
Edvan Moraes, a first-year orchestral conducting graduate student and assistant conductor for the USC Symphony and Aiken Symphony, said Weiss ensures that his students improve not only as musicians but also as individuals.
Moraes said Weiss worked hard with him personally to guarantee that he was able to go from Brazil to study at the university.
“I think he deserves it because he really contributes with the artistic development of South Carolina,” Moraes said.
Weiss said that even though musicians should strive to create great music, it is important to realize that a musician's ability to influence audiences is significantly affected by their impact on the community.
He said that receiving the honor allows him to be seen by the community as someone who can impact citizens in the local area.
“Receiving this award was the result of the work of dozens and dozens of colleagues, former students, audience members and people that I have worked with for the last 15 years,” Weiss said. “There hasn't been a greater honor in my professional life, and I'm incredibly thankful to them as well as to Governor McMaster and all that had a part in awarding me this incredible honor.”