Dr. Thomas Dickey
Director of Orchestral Studies
Associate Professor, Orchestral Conducting
Reviewed by his critics as a "dynamic and exciting conductor" whose conducting is "imbued with aplomb, energy, and pathos," Dr. Thomas Dickey is the Director of Orchestral Studies at Oklahoma State University, where he conducts the OSU Symphony Orchestra and guides all aspects of the orchestral program. Prior to his appointment at OSU, he was the Director of Orchestral Activities at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and Music Director and Conductor of the Dubuque Symphony Youth Orchestra (IA).
Dr. Dickey has conducted many professional orchestras throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe, including the Atlantic Coast Orchestra in Portugal; London Classical Soloists in England; Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in Canada; Bacau Philharmonic in Romania; the Bakersfield, Macon, Norwalk, and Rapides symphonies; the Naples Philharmonic; Rose City Chamber Orchestra; and the Chicago Reading Orchestra. He has also worked with numerous conservatory, university, and youth orchestras in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
A native of Illinois, Dr. Dickey began piano studies at the age of four. He holds doctoral and master's degrees in orchestral conducting from the University of Georgia and Louisiana State University, respectively, and graduated with highest honors from Eastern Illinois University, where he received the Excellence in Fine Arts scholarship. He has worked with conductors such as Carl Topilow, Christopher Zimmerman, Daniel Lewis, Gustav Meier, and Diane Wittry, and further studied conducting at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, and numerous workshops and master classes.