Harold Wheeler

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Harold Wheeler (born June 14, 1943 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an orchestrator, composer, conductor, arranger, record producer, and music director. He has received numerous Tony Award and Drama Desk Award nominations for orchestration, and won the 2003 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestration for Hairspray.

Wheeler made history when he was named Music Conductor for the 76th Academy Awards, becoming the first African-American conductor in the Academy's history. He also was conductor alongside Marc Shaiman and William Ross at the 79th Academy Awards. Wheeler was one of two conductors (the others being fellow composers John Williams and Paul Shaffer) during the closing ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympics.

He is currently the musical director on the ABC Network show, Dancing with the Stars. He has had this position for all of the show's seasons.

He is married to television, Broadway, and movie performer Hattie Winston.