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Conductors
Douglas Droste, Music Director
 Douglas Droste is the Director of Orchestral Studies at Oklahoma State University and Music Director/Conductor of the Oklahoma Youth Symphony. Before coming to OSU, he served on the faculties of Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee; Liberty Union-Thurston School District in Baltimore, Ohio; and conducted the Paducah (KY) Symphony Youth Orchestra.
Mr. Droste has guest conducted the Tulsa Signature Symphony and Amarillo Virtuosi, in addition to numerous youth orchestras. He studied conducting with Gary Lewis and violin with Michael Davis and John Gilbert. Additional studies include the Pierre Monteux School for Orchestral Conductors with Michael Jinbo, Oregon Bach Festival Conducting Master Class with Helmuth Rilling, as well as conducting seminars sponsored by the American Symphony Orchestra League and Conductors Guild. Mr. Droste has received degrees from The Ohio State University and Texas Tech University.
On violin, Mr. Droste has performed with the orchestras of Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Nashville, Memphis, Lubbock, and with the Lancaster (OH) Festival Orchestra and Disney's All-American College Orchestra. He is also proficient on viola, trumpet, and has sung in a variety of choral ensembles.
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Dr. Paul David Goza, OYWS Conductor
 David Goza, conductor of the Oklahoma Youth Wind Symphony, holds a Master of Music degrees in oboe performance and composition from the University of Memphis and the University of Arkansas respectively, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in instrumental conducting from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He has taught at the University of Virginia, Missouri State University, Drury University and the University of Arkansas, and joins the music faculty of the University of Oklahoma in the fall of 2008. He has directed the Memphis Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Youth Orchestra of Charlottesville/Albemarle, the Ozark Festival Orchestra, and the Chamber Orchestra of the Ozarks, which he founded in 1997. He has also played principal oboe and English horn for a number of symphony, opera and ballet orchestras, and is the author of Lincolnshire Posy: a Personal View published by the Percy Aldridge Grainger Society.
Dr. Goza is an avid amateur geologist and carpenter, and enjoys the company of his wife Rossitza, professor of violin at OU and concertmaster of the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra; his son Jim, who is an actor and rock guitarist of rare talent; his indifferent cat who tolerates him because he feeds her; and a large collection of petrified wood and calcite. He cannot get enough of the music of Haydn, Beethoven and Brahms. He holds membership in Pi Kappa Lambda, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity and the Percy Aldridge Grainger Society.
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Scott Jackson,
Conductor, YAO
Scott Jackson, Director of the Stillwater Public Schools Orchestra Program, is originally from Enid, Oklahoma where he began studying the cello with Daphne Dougherty in 6th grade. In 2001 Mr. Jackson received his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Oklahoma State University. He cello teachers include Evan Tonsing, Larry Stomberg, and currently Jeffery Lastrapes at OSU. Mr. Jackson has served as a member of the faculty at the University of Arkansas Summer Music Camp since 2003. He also served as conductor for the Northwest Arkansas Region 8th-9th grade Honor Orchestra, the Tulsa Region All-City Orchestra, and the Edmond All-City Orchestra between 2004 and 2007. I n May of 2008, Scott Jackson received a Master's degree in Cello Pedagogy and Performance from OSU.
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Charya Wolfe, Resident Conductor
 Ms. Wolfe, graduated with a Bachelor's in Instrumental Music Education from Oklahoma City University. She travels the country through the summer as part of the teaching staff with the George N. Parks Drum Major Academy. She is currently band director at Mayfield Middle School and assistant band director at Putnam City West High School.
She has been a part of the Oklahoma Youth Symphonies, Inc. program since 1996, first as a student musician then as the music librarian. She is currently a member of MENC, OMEA, Sigma Alpha Iota, and the Women Band Directors International.
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