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Register by October 17 to Secure Your Spot!
| Registration Type | Member Price |
|---|---|
| Early Bird Registration (Sept. 11-Oct.3) | $750 |
| General Registration (Oct. 4-Oct.17) | $850 |
Robert Harris
Robert A. Harris, professor emeritus at Northwestern University's Bienen School of Music, served as professor of conducting and director of choral organizations from 1977 to 2012. Prior to Northwestern, Harris taught at Michigan State University from 1970 to 1977, and at Wayne State University from 1964 to 1970. He also has held visiting professorships at Wayne State University, the University of Texas and the University of South Africa in Pretoria.
Harris is active as a conductor, choir clinician, and adjudicator, having appeared in these capacities throughout the United States and abroad. In the Republic of China, Harris served as one of two guest conductor/clinicians for the Taipei Philharmonic Choral and Conducting Workshop. He also served as guest conductor for Korea's premier professional choir, the Inchon City Chorale, and as guest conductor of a Choral Festival Youth Chorale in Hong Kong. On two separate occasions he has presented conducting masterclasses throughout South Africa and has also presented lectures and masterclasses on African-American spirituals in Argentina, as well as at the Cantat VII Music Festival in Bogota, Columbia.
As a composer, Harris has been the recipient of over forty commissions from schools, churches and musical organizations. His compositions, especially those of the choral genre, have been performed throughout the United States, Europe, Hong Kong, Korea, South America and in South Africa. His published works currently appear in the catalogs of Oxford University Press, Morning Star, Boosey and Hawkes, Walton Music, Mark Foster, and J.S. Paluch.
Awards and honors for Harris include an Alumni Arts Achievement Award in Music from Wayne State University, Northwestern’s Bienen School of Music's Faculty Exemplar Teaching Award as well as a Northwestern University Alumni Association Excellence in Teaching Award. An Oral History video interview of Harris has been made a permanent part of The HistoryMakers collections at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.
Active as a church musician, Harris currently serves Winnetka (IL) Congregational Church as director of music and choirmaster. He is a life member of the American Choral Directors Association, an active and former board member of Chorus America, and the Hymn Society.
