About
“Working with Rob Traugh is a joy. He is an incredibly talented composer and wonderful person. From commissioning ensemble music to having the opportunity to record his smaller chamber works, Rob’s creative vision, personal expectations, professionalism, and warmth are unparalleled. Lucky are those who have the opportunity to dive deep into a collaborative project with him. His music is an artistically rewarding experience for everyone involved.”
Robert Traugh (b. 1984)
Robert Traugh (b. 1984, Morgantown, West Virginia) is an American composer, conductor, collaborator, educator, and performer. Robert's music reflects his diverse creative experience. His compositions encompass wind bands, orchestras, jazz ensembles, dance performances, pageantry, and multi-media collaborations. Seamlessly transitioning through genres and mediums, Robert infuses his work with a distinct perspective rooted in his public school teacher background and jazz studies. His appreciation for the Black American art form of jazz and its myriad of derivatives influenced a broad spectrum of creative ventures, collaborating with classically trained musicians, screenwriters, large ensembles, recording artists, choreographers, and ensemble directors.
Robert has collaborated with esteemed performers, including Cassandra Eisenreich, David Reeves, Pathos Trio, Shana Simmons, Timothy Shade, Shawn Vondran, and Jason Kush. He has showcased his music in various venues, ranging from elementary school cafeterias with young bands to prestigious university performance halls at Northwestern University and the University of North Texas. His work has also been featured on streaming platforms and in visual media. His music has also been performed internationally at the National Flute Association and International Trombone Association Conferences.
In addition to his dedication to composing, Rob is deeply connected to music education, having served as a public school secondary band director in the Norwin and Kiski Area School Districts for 12 years. He also served as the President of the Pennsylvania Music Educator's Association District 1 . Rob continues to be passionate about nurturing creative pathways in the arts. He is actively engaged as a guest clinician, adjudicator, and conductor. Rob holds the Adjunct Professor of Composition (Music Technology) position at the Mary Pappert School of Music, where he is the Program Director for the Composition for Media Degree. He also serves as a conductor of the wind symphony and a member of the artistic staff at Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestra. He encourages high school students to begin composing through a collaborative composition course titled YouMusic through TRYPOsphere. He is also a founding board member of the Pittsburgh Creators' Project, where he helped to produce two seasons of the Pittsburgh Creators' Podcast with Alan Fear and continues to administrate the Pittsburgh Creators' Project Symphonic Winds. To augment his expertise, he has also participated in wind band conducting symposia at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the University of Minnesota.
As a Provost Fellow, Rob is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV. He holds a Master of Music degree in Electronic Composition from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA, and a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from The Dana School of Music in Youngstown, OH. Throughout this journey, he has been guided by profound influences, including Lynn Purse, Matthew Heap, Jacob Sandridge, Andy Kohn, Alan Hankers, Joseph Wilcox Jenkins, Judith Bowman, Til Meyn, David Morgan, Stephen Gage, and Michael Crist.
Rob resides in Cranberry Township, PA, just north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his wife (and life partner) Bethany and their two children, Gavan and Maia.