While the community is staying healthy at home, the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra is offering the opportunity to have an up-close and personal look at some of its talented musicians.
Meet the Musicians will be presented weekly and they will talk about their instruments and share their passion for music.
Anne Wilcheck-Schuessler
Anne Wilcheck-Schuessler grew up in Owensboro and started playing the clarinet in band at Longfellow Elementary School. She attended Southern Middle School and graduated from Owensboro High School in 1982.
Wilcheck-Schuessler was a member of the Owensboro Youth Orchestra from 1978-1982. During her junior and senior years of high school, she was tutoring clarinet students at SMS. This is where her lifetime love for teaching started.
For her bachelor’s degree in music education, Wilcheck-Schuessler attended the University of Evansville and studied with clarinetist David Wright.
In 1983, she began subbing with the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra and the Evansville Philharmonic. In 1984, Wilcheck-Schuessler won the 2nd clarinet/Eb clarinet audition for both orchestras and began her professional playing career at the age of 19.
While continuing to play in both orchestras and giving private lessons, Wilcheck-Schuessler attended Indiana University for her Master’s degree in clarinet performance. While at IU, she studied clarinet with Anton Weinberg and James Campbell and was a wind conducting student of Ray Kramer.
In 1989, Wilcheck-Schuessler was accepted into the Artist Diploma Program at IU, but and she was offered her first teaching job at Boonville Middle and Boonville High School in Indiana. She decided to take the teaching job, continued to teach private lessons, and was still playing in both orchestras. She also started playing with the Evansville Symphonic Band during this time.
Wilcheck-Schuessler was the Director of Bands at Daviess County Middle School and was assistant band director at DCHS from 1990-1998. She then moved to Henderson North Middle School and assisted at HCHS from 1998-2000.
From 2000-2008, Wilcheck-Schuessler started her own private lesson business in Evansville called Perfect Practice and taught 70 students a week that were coming from Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois. She was also the Woodwind Caption Head, Clarinet, Sax and, Flute instructor for Castle High School from 2001-2008.
In 2008, Wilcheck-Schuessler started teaching band full time again at McGary Middle School and assisting with the William Henry Harrison High School Band.
In her spare time, Wilcheck-Schuessler enjoys teaching private lessons at The Foundry Center for the Arts, playing for weddings, and playing during church services.
Anne is married to Jeff Schuessler, General Manager of Bru Burger Bar in Evansville. They have three adult children that are all married.
