Harvey Wechsler

Local 72-147 Life Member and violinist Harvey Wechsler passed away on December 28, 2025 after a valiant battle with Stage 4 cancer. Harvey was born in Chicago in May of 1939, moved to Miami, went to Coral Gables High School and attended the University of Miami as a performance major. He performed with the Miami Philharmonic from 1959 to 1976, when he went to Houston to audition for the Houston Symphony where he played for the next 30 years.After his retirement, he continued to lead an active life, serving on the Planning and Zoning Commission when he lived in Angel Fire, NM, teaching private lessons in Wylie, Texas, and performing with the Richardson Symphony prior to joining the Lewisville Lake Symphony . In addition to his distinguished professional career, Harvey was a talented photographer with Associated Press credentials and an excellent cook who also enjoyed fly -fishing, playing poker, reading about American history, and learning Tai Chi. Friends and family fondly recall Harvey’s exuberance for life, excellent sense of humor, enthusiasm for story-telling, and love of practicing the violin and challenging himself to learn new and difficult pieces. One of his favorite memories was playing with Itzhak Perlman when Perlman was a guest artist with the Houston Symphony and playing poker with Perlman all through the night after their concert. He will be dearly missed.