Robert Schwartz

Dr. Robert Schwartz is the Director of Bands at Southeastern Louisiana University. At Southeastern, he is responsible for guiding all aspects of the band program, which includes conducting the Wind Symphony as well as directing The Spirit of Southland Marching Band and Basketball Band. In addition to his responsibilities with the band program, he teaches instrumental conducting classes and Instrumental Band Methods. Schwartz is also the recipient of the NEH-Southeastern Development Foundation Endowed Professorship in Music. Additionally, he is the conductor of the Northlake Community Band.

Before his appointment at Southeastern, Dr. Schwartz was the Director of Bands at Central Connecticut State University and Visiting Director of Bands at Washburn University. At both places, he was in charge of overseeing all aspects of the band program with both concert ensembles and athletic bands. He was also the Assistant Director of Bands at Drake University. Dr. Schwartz completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Colorado Boulder. At CU, his primary teacher was Dr. Donald McKinney and was involved with all of the concert ensembles and athletic bands. His dissertation project included an extensive document on the Recording Projects of Eugene Migliaro Corporon. Other research projects included a repertoire project focusing on works for choir and band as well as vocal soloist and band from 2000-2015, and a transcription for winds or Ola Gjeilo’s choral work, Phoenix. Schwartz has recently completed transcriptions of Joseph Turrin’s Hymn for Diana and Robert Kurka’s Julius Caesar, James Stephenson’s RiverField, and Jessie Montgomery’s Hymn for Everyone, and Quinn Mason’s Inspiration!, all premiered by the Southeastern Louisiana University Wind Symphony. In the spring of 2024, the Southeastern Louisiana University collaborated with GRAMMY Award Winning composer, Michael Daugherty on a transcription of the remaining movements of Michael Daugherty’s Fifteen: A Symphonic Fantasy on the Art of Andy Warhol, completed by Schwartz. This work will be performed and presented at the College Band Directors National Association Conference in March of 2025 by the North Texas Wind Symphony.

Dr. Schwartz received his Master of Music degree from the University of North Texas where he studied with Eugene Migliaro Corporon. He was also a part of several recording projects as a production assistant with the North Texas Wind Symphony and North Texas Symphonic Band. He has written the liner notes to several of the North Texas Wind Symphony Windworks discs. During his time in Denton, he was one of the assistant conductors for the Lone Star Wind Orchestra for three seasons and was involved with a variety of aspects of the organization. He was one of the assistant producers to the Lone Star Wind Orchestra’s disc, Converging Cultures. Additionally, Dr. Schwartz has published articles in eight of the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series.

A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Dr. Schwartz received his Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from Duquesne University. While at Duquesne, he studied conducting extensively under Dr. Robert Cameron. After graduation, he taught middle school and high school band at Center Area School District for four years.

Dr. Schwartz is a member of the College Band Directors National Association, the National Association for Music Education, the Louisiana Music Educators Association, Texas Music Educators Association, World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, and the Conductors Guild.