Longtime Colorado Springs resident and musician Don Wheeler, 83, has endowed a tuition scholarship to Young Concert Artists Youth Orchestra of Colorado Springs. The YCA scholarship will be awarded to the winner of a newly created competition open to all students of the French horn in the city. The scholarship competition has been scheduled for Saturday, November 11th at Pulpit Rock Church. This generous gift, to be given annually, includes the use of Mr. Wheeler's Philip Farkas Double French Horn. The horn has been presented as a gift to YCA.

Don Wheeler's musical career began in high school and continued when he enlisted in the Army in 1944. He is a veteran of both WW II and the Korean War. Starting as a drum major in high school, he went on to study with renowned horn expert Philip Farkas, whose Double French Horn Mr. Wheeler has given to YCA. Mr. Farkas designed instruments and wrote books on teaching methods that are still in use today. In 1953, Mr. Wheeler completed a music program in one of the earliest classes at the Navy School of Music. During his army career, he performed with military ensembles in the United States and Europe. After WW II, he supervised USO shows in Korea and managed such big name entertainers as Bob Hope, The New Christy Minstrels singing group, and author Pearl S. Buck, whose book signings in Asia were highly popular at the time. Mr. Wheeler formed lasting friendships with Korean musicians as a conductor of choral groups in that country, and later in the U.S. He has also directed numerous music programs at Korean church fellowships since arriving in Colorado Springs in 1974. Mr. Wheeler has also maintained a strong presence at KCME 88.7 FM, Colorado Springs' "Voice for the Arts" classical and jazz radio station. He began with the station in 1985 as an accountant and assistant station manager. In the past 20 years he has supported the station not only as an employee, but later as a pledge-drive volunteer, and he was instrumental in the hiring of its current general manager, Jeanna Wearing.

For more information, or to register for the YCA French Horn Scholarship competition, go to the Young Concert Artists website at www.yca-cs.org, and click on the scholarship information link at the top of the home page.