Greater Houston Youth Orchestra

 

Lawrence Wheeler, founding music director and GHYO orchestra conductor, is an associate professor at the University of Houston Moores School of Music. He has been the conductor of string ensembles at the University of Houston and The High School for Performing and Visual Arts and has guest conducted several Texas Region orchestras, as well as the Texas Private Schools All-State Orchestra. From 1988-1993 he was a conductor for the Houston Youth Symphony & Ballet. In 1993, he founded the Greater Houston Youth Orchestra. Mr. Wheeler is former Principal Viola of the Pittsburgh Symphony and has served as Co-Principal of the Minnesota Orchestra and guest Principal with the Dallas and Houston Symphonies. He has appeared as soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Icelandic National Symphony, Texas Chamber Orchestra, Hilton Head Chamber Orchestra, and the UNAM Philharmonic in Mexico City. Familiar to Houston audiences through numerous solo recitals and chamber music appearances, Mr. Wheeler has given viola recitals in New York at Alice Tully Hall, in London at Wigmore Hall, at International Viola Congresses in Stuttgart, Rekjavik and Houston, as well as recitals in Mexico City and throughout Texas. He has performed with the Tokyo, Pro Arte and Tallis String Quartets, the Mirecourt Trio, and with Da Camera of Houston. For several years Mr. Wheeler was violist of the Lyric Art Quartet, whose compact disk, Classical Hollywood, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1990. Two other compact discs include works with the Texas Festival and Picasso Quartet. With pianist Ruth Tomfohrde, he has recorded several American works for viola and piano, released by Albany Recordings. His recorded performances have been heard in Houston on KUHF, nationally on National Public Radio's Performance Today, and throughout Europe on the BBC. A graduate of the Juilliard School, his teachers include William Lincer, Walter Trampler, Bruno Giuranna, Francis Tursi and Leonard Mogill. For five summers he taught at the Meadowmount School for Strings, and for twelve summers at the ENCORE School for Strings, where he worked with many of the most gifted of the younger generation of string players. He has also taught and performed at the Musicorda Summer Musical Festival in Massachusetts, the Bowdoin Music Festival in Maine, and the Texas Music Festival in Houston. Being committed to music education, he has sent more of his viola students to Texas All-State orchestras than any private teacher of any instrument, which include fifteen Symphony and three Philharmonic first-chair players. Larry's family includes his wife Linda, a professional violinist, and two sons, Erik, and Alex, both of whom are studying the 'cello and play in GHYO

 

José Rocha graduated with honors from the University of Florida receiving Bachelor and Master of Music degrees. While in Florida, Mr. Rocha taught orchestra at Jewett Academy, Jewett School of the Arts, and Polk Community College. In addition to teaching, Mr. Rocha kept a very busy schedule performing with the Southwest Florida Symphony (Ft. Myers), the Orlando Philharmonic, Savannah Symphony (GA), Columbus Symphony (GA), the Strauss Symphony of America, Ray Price, Glenn Frey, Frank Sinatra Jr., Marvin Hamlish, Ray Charles and others. In the summer of 1994, Mr. Rocha was selected to perform with the prestigious Jugend Schwyz Orchestra in Switzerland. In 1995, Mr. Rocha returned to Europe as soloist with the Texas State University Orchestra, playing in such places as the Chopin Conservatory in Poland. In addition to conducting the GHYO String Ensemble, Mr. Rocha serves as Director of Orchestras at Johnston Middle School (HISD) and Lone Star College. He is working on his Doctoral Degree in Music at the University of Houston. Mr. Rocha has a young daughter, Sarah, who is enrolled in the cello class at Parker Elementary. When available, Mr. Rocha and his wife, Jeanette Shackelford, play with the Symphony of Southeast Texas.

 

Jeanette Shackelford received her Bachelor of Music Education from Texas State University in 1996 and has taught elementary through college level orchestras for 12 years. Ms. Shackelford has a Master of Performance in violin and viola from the University of Florida School of Music and a Master in Educational Leadership with principal certification. While orchestra is her first love, Ms. Shackelford is pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership with the goal of becoming a Principal and Superintendent who will have music education as a priority in the educational system. Orchestral playing experience includes symphonies such as, San Antonio Symphony, Beaumont Symphony, Jacksonville Florida Symphony, Symphony of Southwest Florida, Austin Symphony, Savannah Symphony, and Orlando Symphony. Currently, Ms. Shackelford is the director of orchestras in CFISD for Cypress Creek High School, Bleyl Middle School and Lonestar Community College.