|
Robert J. Ambrose is Director of Wind Studies and Ensembles,
Associate Professor of Music and the Associate Director of the School of Music
at Georgia State University where he conducts the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and
University Chamber Winds, coordinates the Master of Music in Wind Band
Conducting degree program, and is responsible for the entire undergraduate
music program. Prior to this appointment he held conducting positions at the
Chicago College of Performing Arts and Boston College. He also served for five
years as Director of Instrumental Music in the public schools of Norwood and
Monson, Massachusetts.
Dr. Ambrose received the Bachelor of Arts degree in computer
science with a concentration in music from Boston College, the Master of Music
degree in music education from Boston University and the Doctor of Music degree
in conducting at Northwestern University. His principal conducting teachers
have been Mallory Thompson, Frank Battisti and Eric Rombach-Kendall. In
addition, he has attended classes with Seiji Ozawa, Robert Spano and Andre
Previn at the Tanglewood Music Center.
Ensembles under the direction of Dr. Ambrose have performed
at Carnegie Hall, Spivey Hall, the College Band Directors National Association
Southern Division Conference, the Georgia and Massachusetts Music Educators
Conferences, Boettcher Hall in Denver and at the Hatch Memorial Shell in
Boston. In addition, a recent performance of Igor Stravinsky’s Symphony of
Pslams under his direction has been given repeated airings on Georgia Public
Radio.
An ardent supporter of contemporary and avant-garde music,
Dr. Ambrose is co-founder, conductor and guitarist of the Atlanta-based
contemporary music ensemble Bent
Frequency. Hailed by Gramophone Magazine as "one of the brightest
ensembles on the [Atlanta] scene," and by the Atlanta Journal Constitution
as "a suddenly indispensable part of the Atlanta music scene," this
ensemble has received widespread critical acclaim for their musical virtuosity
and innovative programming. He is also
the founder and music director of the Atlanta Chamber Winds, a professional
woodwind dectet comprised of Atlanta’s top freelance musicians.
In 2003, Dr. Ambrose co-founded the Metropolitan Atlanta Youth Wind Ensemble, a
youth wind band comprised of 52 of the most talented high school musicians from
the greater Atlanta area. This ensemble performed a program at Carnegie Hall in
May of 2005 and is now a resident ensemble of Georgia State University.
As a guitarist Dr. Ambrose has performed in dozens of jazz
ensembles, combos, rock bands and pit orchestras in Boston and Chicago. His
rock band "Hoochie Suit," formed with members of the Chicago Symphony
Orchestra, received rave reviews throughout the Chicago area and has performed
for such distinguished guests as Yo-Yo Ma, Larry Combs and Daniel Barenboim.
For three years Dr. Ambrose served as co-editor of the
internationally-circulated Music Educators National Conference Measurement and
Evaluation newsletter. Recent publications include articles in the Bulletin of
Historical Research in Music Education and The Georgia Music News. Dr. Ambrose
is a member of Phi Delta Kappa, the College Band Directors National Association,
the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Wind Ensembles, the Music
Educators National Conference and the Georgia Music Educators Association and
has served on the Executive Board of the Massachusetts Instrumental Conductors
Association. In addition, he has been awarded the National Band Association
Citation of Excellence.
|
