Robert Feller

While serving as a graduate assistant at the Eastman School of Music, I graduated with a Master’s Degree in Performance and Literature in Trumpet, and was awarded the coveted Performer’s Certificate for outstanding performance. My trumpet teachers have included Barbara Butler (Chicago/Rochester), Boyde Hood (Los Angeles Philharmonic), Anthony Plog (International Recitalist/ Freiburg School in Germany), John Clyman (Los Angeles), Vincent Chickowitz (Chicago Symphony) Master class performer, Joan La Rue (Long Beach), Gary Wiedeman (Garden Grove), and Frank Maltz (Huntington Beach).

I studied conducting with Larry Curtis (Instrumental, CSULB), Hans Beer (Orchestral, USC), David Wilson (Choral, USC), and David Effron (Orchestral, ESM). I was the founder and director of the Professional Christian Wind Ensemble conducting dozens of concerts in Southern California.  For two years I also served as the conductor of the Pacific Brass Ensemble, Southern California’s premier brass ensemble. For the 5 years of its existence, I was the conductor of the Los Angeles Holiday Brass concerts which were comprised of the finest brass players in Southern California, including members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

In addition to countless free-lance performances, I have been a performing member of the California Philharmonic, California Wind Orchestra, Long Beach Municipal Band, Rochester Philharmonic, Pasadena Symphony, Pasadena Chamber Orchestra, Ontario Brass, Nazareth Brass Quintet, and played lead trumpet in dozens of Civic Light Opera productions.  I have been a trumpet performer in many of Disneyland’s atmosphere groups including playing lead trumpet for the nationally acclaimed Symphonic Fantasy Tour.  From 1989 – 2016 I was the Head Clinician for Disney Performing Arts Excellence in Entertainment Workshops leading approximately 4000 film scoring session workshops. In the course of ten years, I traveled extensively with the Continental Brass and Singers, conducting and playing trumpet in more than 2000 concerts in over 29 countries Worldwide. I was a founding member of Gabriel Brass, a trumpet trio with a four-piece rhythm section, whose crowning achievement was to represent the USA in North and South Korea as well as China. I lead teams to Romania to minister to orphans and abandoned babies with Heart2Heart International in 2002, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019.

I retired at the rank of Full Professor III/Professor Emeritus, and the Head of Winds and Percussion at the Biola University Conservatory of Music in 2022. There I conducted the Symphonic Winds, and Brass Ensemble, and coached the Brass Quintet, Woodwind Quintet, Brass Trio, and Horn Quintet. In addition to teaching Basic Conducting, Advanced Instrumental Conducting, Brass Methods, Instrumental Literature for Schools, guided research for Instrumental Literature and Pedagogy, I coordinated and lead all other activities related to Winds and Percussion.

I was a founding member of Quartet Biola, a faculty quartet from the Biola Conservatory of Music, who traveled to Japan, mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Singapore performing in solo concerts, recitals, giving masterclasses, and leading workshops. During the span of my entire career, I have performed in 31 different countries. I recently retired from professional trumpet playing and am now devoting time to arranging for Large Brass Ensemble and playing trumpet casually.