“The Tulsa Symphony Orchestra will honor Ron Wheeler, longtime music director of the Tulsa Youth Symphony Orchestra, with an award recognizing Wheeler’s accomplishments as an educator and conductor, to be presented as part of the orchestra’s Jan. 15 concert,” writes James D. Watts Jr. in Thursday’s (12/9) Tulsa World (OK). “The award will also be named the Ron Wheeler Tulsa Symphony Music Educator of the Year award, and will be awarded annually to an exemplary music educator in Oklahoma. Tulsa Symphony Executive Director Keith C. Elder said in a statement, ‘Ron Wheeler’s impact on the city of Tulsa and the modern world of classical music is immense. We are thrilled and honored to celebrate such a beloved and integral figure to our industry and our community.’ Wheeler served as executive director and principal conductor of the Tulsa Youth Symphony Orchestra from 1972 to 2021 … each year he worked with more than 150 young musicians from throughout northeastern Oklahoma. A number of young musicians who got their start in the Tulsa Youth Symphony have gone on to professional careers.… In addition, Wheeler was a violinist with the Tulsa Philharmonic and the Tulsa Symphony, and is currently a member of the TSO Advisory Board.”
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