Patricia Oeste was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and raised in Chicago, Illinois.  She received two undergraduate degrees with high honors from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana and then went on to pursue a professional performing career in Europe.  She sang under such conductors as Leonard Bernstein (New York Philharmonic Orchestra) and Paul Angerer (Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra), among many others.  She sang over forty roles in large and small opera houses throughout Europe, appearing in over 1,000 operatic and symphonic performances.  Following that, she returned with her family to Evanston, Illinois where she received a Masters of Music degree from Northwestern University.  Her husband Wolfgang obtained a job as Opera Director at the University of Central Arkansas, and they both moved to Conway to begin a new phase in their lives. 

Patricia started teaching at St. Joseph’s School in Conway, and then was hired by Conway Public Schools to teach music at Ida Burns Elementary School.  She pursued her National Board Certification in 2002 and became the first teacher in Conway to obtain this distinction.  She was asked by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to be a presenter at the national convention in Washington in 2003.  Currently she serves as the leader of the National Board support group sponsored by UCA, mentoring other candidates through the process.  In 2008 the support site she leads received a THNI grant from the government; one of 10 awarded in the United States.  In 2009 she was named Yale Distinguished Music Educator along with 49 other music educators in the United States.  Also in 2009, she was the recipient of the National Symphony Orchestra/Kennedy Center Teacher Fellowship, enabling her to spend a month in Washington, D.C. working on several projects coordinated by the Kennedy Center and the NSO.   In 2003, she won the “Plan-a-Dream” award, one of three given in the United States from Creative Classroom Magazine and TIAA-CREF, honoring and supporting creative teaching practices.  She also won Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year for Conway-West.  In 2004-2005 she started a new music program at the Ruth Doyle Intermediate School in Conway where she is currently teaching fifth and sixth grade general music and sixth grade choir. She is a member of the Arkansas' Music Educator's Association Board and is currently the President-Elect.  Her presidency will begin in January, 2010.  She is the Director of Music for St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Conway where she plays the organ and directs the adult and handbell choirs.  In 2006, in cooperation with AETN (Arkansas Educational Television Network) she designed a summer program for students in grades 3 through 6 called "Kid's Computer Camp".  This camp focused on helping students gain the necessary technology skills for success in today's schools. 

Patricia continues to perform professionally. Patricia and Wolfgang have two children; Micaela and Andreas.  Both children are deeply involved in music.  Micaela is currently employed by the Washington National Opera as a Young Artist and Andreas is attending the University of Central Arkansas as an Oboe performance major.