John Arnold

John Arnold, 56, of Las Vegas, Nevada, passed away Wednesday, December 27, 2023. He was born on April 12, 1967 in Norman, Oklahoma to John and Elisa Arnold. John grew up in Norman and Moore and graduated from Moore High School in 1985. He later went on to earn a music degree in violin performance from the University of Oklahoma. While still a student at OU, John was a founding member of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and finished his time there as Associate Concertmaster.
John moved to Las Vegas to join his sister and family and quickly became one of the go-to violinists in Las Vegas. He spent nearly a decade performing with Celine Dion during her Caesar's Palace residency. During his career he performed as a Concertmaster with a variety of artists and mediums such as Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, Itzhak Perlman, Kristin Chenoweth, Lionel Ritchie, Barry Manilow, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Josh Groban, Yo Yo Ma, Marvin Hamlisch, Smokey Robinson, Carrie Underwood, Tony Bennett, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Kelli O'Hara, Toby Keith, Debbie Reynolds, Neil Sedaka, Bob Anderson, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Mannheim Steamroller, St. Petersburg (Russia) Ballet with Galina Mezenstova, The Peter Pan National Tour, The Elvis Experience, Chicago the Musical and has performed at the Billboard Awards, The American Music Awards, The Daytime Emmy Awards and The MDA Telethon. Despite many accolades and nominations, one of John's all- time favorite moments was being part of the Deadpool 2 music video with Celine Dion and Ryan Reynolds as it merged his loves of music and superhero movies.
In spite of his personal professional accomplishments, John's true calling was teaching. He was fortunate to share his passion for music with 1000's of students of all ages. John was Professor of Violin at the Wanda L. Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University, and taught at Oklahoma Baptist University and Oklahoma City Community College. John is the former Director of Instrumental Music at Somerset Academy Sky Pointe Campus in Las Vegas, Nevada and he shared his talents as a private instructor. He was a prolific recruiter, taught for many years at The Oklahoma Art Institute at Quartz Mountain and Oklahoma Youth Orchestra, and shaped multiple generations of musicians across the country until his death.
As a man, John was as passionate about life as he was about music and could be found holding court with family and friends sharing great food and wine. He was a keen trivia player with a limitless supply of movie quotes and sports knowledge. John would return every year to Norman and Dallas to cheer on the Sooners with lifelong friends and could be found at Las Vegas Golden Knights hockey games with his brother-in-law and nephews. John treated everyone he met with kindness. If you were not yet his friend, you soon would be and would be for life, as he was relentless in his optimism and demonstrations of love. John's gregariousness and easy laugh earned him the joking nickname of "The Mayor of Spagoland" among close friends and endeared him to all. To say his passing has left many brokenhearted is an understatement. We are all better for having known him and having him in our lives.
John is survived by his fiancée, Lisa Catalano, sister, Sheila (Arnold) Davis, brother-in-law, Keith Davis, and nephews, Shane and Brady Davis. John loved his family beyond measure and was especially proud of his nephews and the young men they were becoming. His memorial service will be held at McFarlin Methodist Church on Saturday, January 13 at 11:00 am.
In lieu of flowers, the family wishes for donations to be made to the Oklahoma Arts Institute. Donations can be made online at www.oaiquartz.org/donate (please type 'In memory of John Arnold' in the comment box near the bottom)