Dr. Robert Rumbelow

Robert W. Rumbelow is in his fourteenth year as Conductor and Director of Wind Ensemble Activities at the Columbus State University Schwob School of Music. In addition to teaching classes in conducting and literature, Dr. Rumbelow is the conductor of both CSU Wind Ensembles, the faculty Camerata chamber orchestra, frequent conductor of opera productions, as well as guest conductor, clinician, arranger, composer, and lecturer throughout the U.S. and abroad. Rumbelow received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting from Eastman where he studied with Donald Hunsberger. Prior to pursuing his doctoral studies, he successfully served as a director of bands in the Texas public schools. Before joining CSU, Dr. Rumbelow served as the associate conductor of the famed Eastman Wind Ensemble and Eastman Wind Orchestra. He also worked with the Eastman Studio Orchestra, Kilbourn Orchestra, Musica Nova, and the independent Rochester Chamber Players. He has received several notable accolades including the Walter Hagen Conducting Prize and first prize in the Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition sponsored by the Sousa Foundation. In 1997 he won the North American round of the Tokyo International Conducting Competition conducting the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, and progressed to the finals conducting the Tokyo Philharmonic and the Shinsei Symphony Orchestra. He received critical praise for his Russian debut conducting the Hermitage State Chamber Orchestra in April of 2003. Both NPR and Georgia Public Broadcasting commonly broadcast performances of the CSU Wind Ensemble under the baton of Dr. Rumbelow. The ensemble program has received widespread praise for live performances at many statewide and national conferences, as well as their commercial recordings. Rumbelow has also spearheaded many notable commissions and consortia including premieres of works by Christopher Theofanidis, Shafer Mahoney, J.M. David, Dorothy Chang, and many others. His collaborations with artists such as Joseph Alessi, John Yeh, Christopher Martin, and other top artists have demonstrated his belief in the highest professional standards within the educational experience. Rumbelow’s own compositions and arrangements are performed throughout the world, and published by Kjos, Ludwig/Masters, Warner Brothers, and Alfred Music Publishers. His works have been broadcast on NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS, NPR, BBC, and NHK Japan. Dr. Rumbelow is the recipient of numerous ASCAP Awards for his writing, has appeared in multiple Who’s Who listings, earned many citations from the National Band Association, has been elected to Phi Beta Mu (National Honorary Band Fraternity), inducted into the High School Band Directors National Association Hall of Fame, and is currently President-Elect of the Southern Division of CBDNA.

Highlights of his 2009-2010 CSU season will include performances with world-class trumpet soloists, David Bilger (The Philadelphia Orchestra), Robert Sullivan (The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops Orchestra), the premiere of a major work by Christopher Theofanidis for Wind Ensemble, Chorus and Soloists, and the Fall release of the CSU Wind Ensemble’s latest CD, “Synergy” featuring Chicago Symphony principal clarinetist John Bruce Yeh on the Naxos label.

Please visit the Wind Ensemble Activities site.