Film Music Reporter

Academy Awards producers David Hill and Reginald Hudlin today announced that Harold Wheeler was selected as music director for this year’s 88th Oscars. He returns for the third Oscar telecast, his first as music director. Wheeler is best known as an orchestrator, composer, conductor, record producer and arranger and has received numerous Emmy and Tony Award nominations. His television credits include the People’s Choice Awards, the AFI’s 100 Years… series, and ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. He also composed music for two Democratic National Conventions and the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympics. His Broadway musicals credits as an orchestrator include Hairspray, The Full Monty, Dreamgirls and The Wiz. Wheeler also scored a couple of movies, including Love! Valour! Compassion! and Straight Out of Brooklyn. In addition, Byron Phillips was chosen as the Oscar telecast’s supervising music producer. The 88th Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 28, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood.