Robert Boardman, assistant conductor

Robert Boardman is thrilled to return for a second summer as Assistant Conductor at the Cabrillo Festival, a place he considers the center of the universe for contemporary music. His passion for contemporary orchestral music emerges from being drawn to its uncomplicated freshness, sense of event, and artistic relevance to our time. Robert’s lifelong goal is to engage audiences by finding ways, old and new, in which the orchestra can be a vital social force. As Music Director of the University of Michigan, Life Sciences Orchestra and Founder and Conductor of the Ann Arbor Repertory Orchestra, Robert has created opportunities to demystify the performance-ritual, inspire, and entertain others when performing, speaking, and collaborating on stage with poets, photographers, actors, dancers, and singers. This year he assisted the Phoenix Symphony is a semi-staged production of John Adams’ epic opera “Nixon in China.” Robert also serves as Assistant Conductor for Howard Shore's film score "The Lord of the Rings Symphony" with CAMI Music for which he has assisted in over 30 performances, including a tour of Germany. In this position, he has worked with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Florida Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, among others. Robert has conducted 11 World Premieres and over 30 orchestras nationwide, including the Houston Symphony, Spokane Symphony Orchestra, and Cabrillo Festival Orchestra. He has studied conducting with Marin Alsop, Kurt Masur, Gustav Meier, Larry Rachleff, and Kenneth Kiesler. In May 2010, Robert achieved the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Orchestral Conducting at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance.