Tulsa Youth Symphony History
The Tulsa Youth Symphony began as the educational wing of the Tulsa Philharmonic Society in 1963. Its first conductor was Max Waits, who served as 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 (later renamed the Brady Theater and, most recently, the Tulsa Theater in 2019).
Robert McNally, Principal Second Violin of the Philharmonic, became TYS conductor in 1966 and led the ensemble with dedication and musical insight. When Mr. McNally was appointed Concertmaster of the Philharmonic and accepted a position as Violin Instructor at the University of Tulsa six years later, in 1972, TYS named Ron Wheeler as conductor; Mr. Wheeler would go on to serve the organization for many years and was later appointed Executive Director in 2003. Mr. McNally returned in 2010 as a special guest conductor for the February Alumni Concert, providing a celebrated reunion with former students and colleagues. In 2021, Mr. Wheeler was honored with the title Conductor Emeritus at the Winter Concert and passed away in 2024. Also in 2021, Richard Wagner, Orchestral Director at the University of Tulsa, was named Music Director bringing fresh artistic leadership to TYS.
To open the program to more area students, the Concert Orchestra was added in 2003. The Preparatory String Orchestra was added in 2016. In 2020 we endured the challenges of COVID and social distancing with resilience and care, adapting rehearsals and instruction to keep students learning and connected. Those efforts strengthened our community and commitment to excellence, emerging more united and prepared for the future. In 2022, TYS created the Chamber Music Program for TYS members, allowing students to practice and perform in select chamber ensembles in addition to their concert repertoire, in addition to 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. Our organization now serves over 300 talented young musicians across Northeast Oklahoma each season alongside a robust team of music educators and professional musicians.
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.
