Harold Wheeler

Harold Wheeler remembers standing in front of the large orchestra about to raise his hands to conduct when it hit him - "I am at the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Olympics!" That epic moment was one of many highlights in a diverse career that included being a studio musician (he was a member of the band Meco which had a big disco hit with their version of "Star Wars"), orchestrator on Broadway (he won the 2003 Drama Desk Award for his work on Hairspray) and served as musical director on many works (including Nina Simone’s 1971 album Here Comes the Sun). Harold work alongside choreographer Michael Bennett for the Broadway shows Promises, Dream Girls and A Chorus Line, for which Harold wrote the number “The Music in the Mirror.” For eight years he also served as orchestrator and musical director for the Academy Awards television broadcasts. Throughout his career he has always pushed himself to do the very best he could to make the audience hear and feel the music he was so proud to be a part of.