Mike Larsen's bronze The Conductor, also known as Maestro, rises nine feet tall in Bicentennial Park just outside the Civic Center Music Hall. At nine feet tall (2.7 m), the statue depicts a man conducting — a bold, public gesture that honors local musical leadership. This piece commemorates Joel Levine, music director of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, and also recognizes six music directors from other local orchestras: Ralph Rose, Victor Alessandro, Guy Fraser Harrison, Ray Luke, Ainslee Cox, and Luis Herrera de la Fuente.
The artwork was unveiled in 2007, the product of a gift from Jeannette and Dick Sias with additional support from the city and the Oklahoma City Centennial Committee. Mayor Mick Cornett attended the dedication, marking the moment when this bronze figure became part of the civic landscape. Stand close and take in the texture and stance that signal motion even in stillness, then step back and feel how the statue anchors this stretch of the park.
Picture Joel Levine and six fellow music directors honored together in this bronze, a 2007 gift from the Sias family.