Lacy McLarry

Lacy McLarry was born in Farmersville, Texas to Raymond and Lena McLarry on March 27, 1931. He started the study of violin at the age of five, performing the Mendelssohn Concerto for Violin with the Houston Symphony at age 14. His teacher was Philip Williams, with whom he studied from the age of eight through the completion of Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He originally joined the Oklahoma Symphony Orchestra in 1958, following three and one-half years of active duty as a Naval Officer aboard the U.S. Shangri-La. He then served on the faculty of Kansas State Teachers College of Emporia, where he began his well-known Suzuki program. During the summers Lacy was Concertmaster of the New Hampshire Music Festival. In 1972 he returned to Oklahoma as Concertmaster of the Oklahoma Symphony Orchestra (now the Oklahoma City Philharmonic), and as Artist-in-Residence and Director of String Development at Oklahoma City University, where he developed his highly successful Suzuki program involving several teachers and hundreds of pupils. In 1983, the Honorable Governor George Nigh and the Oklahoma Federation of Music Clubs presented the “Oklahoma Musicians of the Year” award to Lacy and Beverly McLarry. Lacy died peacefully in Oklahoma City on November 13, 2024. He is survived by his wife Beverly, son Royce and his wife Olga, and daughter Amanda Schubert and her husband Mark, and their families. 

 The memorial service will be Saturday, January 11, 3:00 PM, at St. Luke’s Methodist Church in Oklahoma City, 222 NW 15th Street. To Lacy’s memory, a gift to the Oklahoma City Philharmonic (or other organization of your choice) would be greatly appreciated.