Events

As he prepares for his seventh season leading the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Maestro Alexander Mickelthwate is enjoying being a part of the OKC community.

“It’s amazing, and also quite humbling,” Mickelthwate said. “My morning routine usually consists of studying at a local coffee shop. Quite often customers will approach me and say they saw me on television or on the side of a bus. To me, that signifies what we are doing at the OKCPHIL is resonating with the community, and making everyone feel welcome.”

The OKCPHIL has been a source of joy and inspiration for 36 years, enriching Oklahoma and its communities through orchestral music. When Mickelthwate came on board, he brought with him an eagerness to build on the successes of the past and pave the way for the future.

“Oklahoma City should be known as a breeding ground for fun and creativity,” he said. “That’s my thing. In our first season, we were always surprised how the audiences were really open to the contemporary. It’s crazy how embracing the audience is for adventurous, fun new things.”

Born and raised in Frankfurt, Germany, Mickelthwate grew up in a home filled with classical music. He received his degree from the Peabody Institute of Music, and has worked with orchestras in Atlanta, Winnipeg and Los Angeles.

He is Music Director Emeritus of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in Canada, and in 2022, accepted the position of Music Director for the prestigious Bear Valley Music Festival in Bear Valley, California. In early 2023, Mickelthwate traveled to Hanoi where he was Guest Conductor at the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra.

Since he’s been in Oklahoma, Mickelthwate has received numerous awards and honors, including being named three time “The Face of Music” by 405 Magazine. Newspaper OKC Friday named him one of the “Top 50 Most Powerful,” and the Ladies Music Club of Oklahoma City lauded him “Musician of the Year.”

Accolades aside, one of Mickelthwate’s goals is to tell Oklahoma stories through music.

“When I first came to Oklahoma City, I read Sam Anderson’s book, ‘Boom Town,’ and from there I began studying Oklahoma’s colorful history,” he said. “We have so many great stories, and seeing them come to life through music is awe-inspiring. This season, we’ve programmed “World Premiere!” American Indian Symphony by Native American composer Jerod Tate. I want to continue bringing more of these stories to our audiences.”

When he’s not studying music or planning future OKCPHIL concerts, Mickelthwate is Artist in Residence at the University of Central Oklahoma where he enjoys working with the next generation of musicians, and conducting UCO’s symphony orchestra. After the music is over Mickelthwate loves spending time with his two sons, trying to beat them at ping pong, creating adventurous new recipes or improvising together on piano and guitar.

“My personal philosophy is that music has a way of reaching us in a way nothing else does,” Mickelthwate said. “It goes deep inside, creating and facilitating beauty in a harsh world. We want the Oklahoma City Philharmonic to be meaningful, to be fun and a place where we are all one. I have often said we feel the love, Oklahoma City. And we are giving it right back.”

Our own Adam Reese will be speaking about a possible International Service Project for our club. Here's some info on the opportunity from the website at https://refugeofhopebucerias.com.

"Refuge of Hope Bucerias A.C. was officially formed in 2020 after its founders had spent many years working together in the community at a local Children’s Shelter. As we delivered food throughout Bucerias in response to Covid-19, our hearts were stirred by the people we met and the needs we saw. What if we could serve the families in the poorest neighborhoods by providing care for their children, skill training for their teens, love and support for the many single moms and grandmas we met? What if we could offer a refuge of hope for people living in hard places?"

"Our top priority is to provide love, nutrition, education, medical care and spiritual growth to the at-risk children of Banderas Bay, especially those who are living with single moms."

"Recently we have created Women of Hope and we are making plans to build a center – possibly right next door on the lot we recently purchased – where moms can gather to create community and learn new skills."

Luke will speak to our club about the exciting new REAL CHANGE COALITION. Bringing together multiple agencies to help assist in employment. TEEM, Side by Side, ReMerge, Urban League, Julius Jones Institute, Chain Reaction Ministries, Work Ready Oklahoma, Diversion Hub, OIC (Opportunities Industrialization Center of OK County), Goodwill, Restore OKC, Oklahoma City Community College and the Central Oklahoma Workforce Innovation Board.

This coalition was started to address barriers many in the population face toward employment.