Oscar Petty earned his BM Degree in Music Education at Montclair State University, MM and a DMA at Rutgers. He served as principal oboe of the Gateways Festival Orchestra from 1993-2001. Hailed as a captivating oboist, he played principal in the Rome Festival Orchestra, and has performed in Europe and Canada. Oscar was awarded an Orchestral Fellowship to the first Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute, where Leonard Bernstein described his playing as “a gorgeous oboe sound”. Dr. Petty was awarded a fellowship to the American Conservatory of Music at Fontainebleau, France and has performed at the Aspen Music Festival. He’s premiered five new works by composer Mario Lombardo. He’s been a frequent performer at IDRS Conferences. Oscar is currently Band and Orchestra director at the Cicely Tyson School of Fine and Performing Arts in East Orange, New Jersey. In 2024, he received the Dr. William P. Foster award for Community Development.