Robert W. Rumbelow composer / arranger

Conductor and composer Robert Rumbelow’s passionate music-making, teaching, and creativity continues to inspire audiences, fellow musicians, and students throughout the world. He has held conducting posts in Texas, New York, Georgia, and Illinois while keeping an active guest conducting schedule throughout the U.S., Canada, Japan, and Eastern Europe. As a conductor of orchestras, wind bands, contemporary ensembles, and opera, Dr. Rumbelow brings an amazing technical understanding of music and movement which he communicates in a very emotional and humanistic way creating meaningful experiences for both musicians and audiences alike. His conducting has been heralded as “joyful, elegant, informed, and exciting” among other superlatives. As winner of several conducting awards including the Walter Hagen Conducting Prize and the Sir Georg Solti Award, Rumbelow is known as a dynamic performer eliciting amazing musicianship from his ensembles.

Classically trained at the renowned Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, Dr. Rumbelow had already distinguished himself as an outstanding teacher, performer on trumpet and piano, and was regarded equally adept in jazz, contemporary, pop and classical music. He earned his Doctorate in Music Arts from the Eastman School, a Master of Music Education degree, Master of Music in Conducting degree, and Bachelor of Music Performance degree from Texas Tech University. After his schooling at Texas Tech University, Rumbelow taught at Lubbock High School creating notable jazz, concert, and marching band programs.

In his academic teaching career, he has been a tenured full professor at both Columbus State University’s Schwob School of Music and the University of Illinois where he conducted top ensembles, operas, coached graduate and undergraduate student conductors, and taught various related classes including conducting, score analysis, literature/repertoire, and orchestration. He was an active undergraduate conducting teacher and conductor of wind ensembles, chamber groups, contemporary ensemble, and chamber orchestra as a graduate teaching assistant and eventual lecturer-level faculty member at the Eastman School of Music.

Maestro Rumbelow has recorded six internationally released recording projects on the Summit and Naxos labels, with a seventh on the way. He has also hosted some of the world’s finest soloists for performances and recordings. John Bruce Yeh (Chicago Symphony Orchestra), Joseph Alessi (New York Philharmonic), Jens Lindeman (World Renowned Soloist), and dozens of other impressive soloists have performed and recorded with Rumbelow on the podium. As a proponent of new music, Dr. Rumbelow has conducted over 40 world premiere performances and recordings. Most recently, he gave the much anticipated world premiere of Pulitzer Prize Winner Aaron Jay Kernis’ trumpet concerto “a voice, a messenger” featuring Philip Smith (New York Philharmonic), followed only weeks later with the world premiere of Christopher Theofanidis’ “Concerto for Marimba” featuring William Moersch (marimba soloist).

As a composer and arranger, Dr. Rumbelow’s music is performed internationally. While his background is firmly rooted in classical music, his passion for contemporary music coupled with a background in jazz has allowed his compositional voice to create a varied repertoire. His music is published by Kjos, Warner Brothers, Alfred, Ludwig/Masters and C. Alan Publications. Select compositions and arrangements are also self published and available through Rumbelow’s website. His music has been broadcast on all major networks worldwide including NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS, NPR, NHK Japan, and the BBC among others.

Maestro Rumbelow continues to coach both professional and student conductors throughout the U.S. as part of his artistic outreach. He is dedicated to community involvement in the arts, building friends for the arts, and engaging as many segments of society as possible through musical outreach and innovative concert experiences. His family is an important source of strength, inspiration and pride, and includes his wife Linda, and two wonderful children, Wesley and Katarina.