Robert Ambrose (conductor)

Robert J. Ambrose is an American conductor, primarily of wind bands, based in Atlanta, Georgia.

Education

Ambrose received a Bachelor of Arts in computer science with a concentration in music from Boston College. He holds a Master of Music in music education from Boston University and a Doctor of Music in conducting from Northwestern University. His primary 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.

Academic and Professional Positions

Ambrose currently serves as Director of Bands, Professor of Music, and Director of Recruitment at Georgia State University. He is Co-founder and Music Director of the National Chamber Winds, and the Atlanta Chamber Winds. He is a Conn-Selmer Educational Clinician, an Honorary Artistic Consultant for the SWAN Academy of Music in Hong Kong, Artistic Advisor for the Rauma Youth Wind Ensemble in Rauma, Finland and is a member of the Board of Governors for the Scandinavian American Foundation of Georgia. Ambrose is the Vice-President Elect for the College Band Directors National Association Southern Division and currently serves as the Georgia state chair for that organization.

Creative Activities

Guest conductor

Ambrose has conducted professionally in twenty three states as well as in Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. Ensembles under his direction have performed at Turku Concert Hall, Tsuen Wan Town Hall, Chiayi City Music Hall, Carnegie Hall, Spivey Hall, and at the Hatch Shell in Boston.

In October, 2016, Ambrose was invited to serve as a guest conductor with The United States Army Field Band on their Northeastern United States tour. He is the only civilian in history to be invited to conduct a premiere military band on tour.

Arranger

Ambrose is a prolific arranger of music for wind band. His arrangements are published by C. Alan Publications and Sannabelle Publications in the United States as well as Fennica Gehrman and Edition Tilli in Finland and have been performed in many countries. In 2018, he completed a corrected critical edition of Arctic Dreams by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Michael Colgrass.

Relationship with Finland

Ambrose has developed strong professional ties to the Finnish music community. He is frequently engaged in that country as a guest conductor, teacher, master clinician, and lecturer. Guest conducting appearances in Finland include the Finnish Navy Band, the Helsinki Police Band, the STM Summer Music Festival Wind Orchestra, the Rauma Wind Band, and the youth wind bands of Kokkola, Kotka, and Rauma. He has taught conducting workshops in Tampere, Rauma, Kuopio, and Kokkola, and has served as guest lecturer at the Central Ostrobothnian Conservatory in Kokkola and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. He is also the Artistic Advisor to the Rauma Youth Wind Band. At home, Ambrose has hosted dozens of Finnish musicians in Atlanta including several composers, conductors, and a Finnish Fulbright scholar. He is currently serving his second term on the Board of Governors for the Scandinavian American Foundation of Georgia.

Memberships
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