Tulsa Youth Symphony History

The Tulsa Youth Symphony began as an educational wing of the Tulsa Philharmonic Society in 1963. The first conductor was Max Waits, Principal Flute of the Philharmonic at that time. The 78-member Youth Symphony presented its Debut Concert on February 15, 1964 in the Tulsa Municipal Theater (renamed Brady Theater, then Tulsa Theater in 2019).

Robert McNally, Principal Second Violin of the Philharmonic, became TYS conductor in 1966. When Mr. McNally became Concertmaster of the Philharmonic and Violin Instructor at University of Tulsa 6 years later, in 1972, TYS named Ron Wheeler as conductor and later in 2003 the Executive Director. Mr. McNally returned in 2010 as special guest conductor at the February Alumni Concert. In 2021, Mr. Wheeler was named Conductor Emeritus at the Winter Concert.

To open the program to more area students, the Concert Orchestra was added in 2003, and the Preparatory String Orchestra was added in 2016. In the 2022-2023 season, TYS created the Prestige Performance Series— a high-level accelerated weekend program open to all Northeast Oklahoma student musicians that provides specialized coaching, guest conductors, and concentrated ensemble rehearsals in a professional, energetic setting. TYS also created the Chamber Music Program for TYS members is 2022, where students can practice and perform in select chamber ensembles in addition to their concert repertoire. TYS artistic staff include Richard Wagner, Pete Peterson, Amelia Ivory, Kenneth Baird and Micah Neely. Our organization now serves over 250 talented young musicians across NE Oklahoma each season.

TYS alumni have performed with the Chicago Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, National Symphony, and San Francisco Symphony, among others. Our students have attended Juilliard, Cleveland Institute, Eastman School of Music, Harvard, and more. In addition to professional careers in music, our alumni have become leading doctors, attorneys, teachers, finance specialists, business owners, government officials and more.