Sarah Neely
Associate Conductor, Oklahoma Youth Winds
Sarah Neely is currently in her fifth year as the Director of Orchestras at Edmond Santa Fe High School in Edmond, Oklahoma. Prior to that appointment, she was Director of Bands at Edmond Santa Fe High School for seven years and Director of Bands at Carl Albert High School in Midwest City, Oklahoma for four years.
Ms. Neely graduated summa cum laude in December 2006 with a Bachelor’s degree in Instrumental Music Education from Oklahoma City University. Continuing her education at OCU under the instruction of Dr. Matthew Mailman, Ms. Neely received her Masters of Music in Conducting in 2009. In 2014, Ms. Neely was named the Oklahoma Music Educators Association Outstanding Young Music Educator and the Phi Beta Mu Outstanding Young Bandmaster. In 2024, she was named an OkMEA Exemplary Teacher and her Symphony Orchestra was selected as an OkMEA Honor Ensemble.
In addition to her duties as Director of Orchestras, Ms. Neely is the Associate Conductor of the Oklahoma Youth Winds, maintains a private percussion studio, and is an active performer in the percussion sections of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and the Frontier Brass Band. Ms. Neely also serves as the Executive Director of the Great Plains International Marimba Competition.
Ms. Neely is a member of the Oklahoma Music Educators Association, National Association for Music Education, and Phi Beta Mu. She is a past President of the Central Oklahoma Directors Association (CODA) and currently serves as a High School Chairperson for the North Central Honor Orchestra (NCHO).