Barry Epperley

G. Barry Epperley has been a driving force for music education and support of live symphonic music in Tulsa and northeast Oklahoma for more than 25 years.  Since founding the Tulsa Little Symphony Orchestra in 1978, Epperley's vision has been a community integration of the pursuit of artistic excellence, heightened arts appreciation, and support of music education for all ages.  

Now founding Director of the Performing Arts Institute at TCC since 1995, his continuing development of the Signature Symphony has resulted in music education partnerships between a professional orchestra and our public school systems; the TulsaFest Festival of the Arts for K-12 summer education; provision of pit services for the critically acclaimed Tulsa Ballet and other community ventures; and an orchestra series that continues to achieve new artistic heights and win new audiences with innovative, accessible programming and award-winning guest artists.

With a music education and performance career that spans more than 40 years, Epperley brings a variety of experiences to the Signature stage.  As an arranger/producer for Disney Corporation, he produced programs with such legends as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Johnny Mathis, and Tony Bennett.  During his White House service as conductor of the U.S. Army Chamber Orchestra, he  performed for three administrations and international dignitaries with renowned guest artists including Isaac Stern, Leonard Bernstein, and Gelsey Kirkland.  His teaching background includes 18 years on the Oral Roberts University faculty as director of the University Orchestra and Chamber Singers.  

A 2004 Inductee to the OSU Education Hall of Fame, Epperley holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in Music Education from Oklahoma State University and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Southern California.