Dr Rob McWilliams
Associate Professor of Music and Director of Bands and Instrumental Music Education at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh

Dr. Rob McWilliams, an internationally accomplished musician, conductor, and educator, was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia. A United States resident since 1991, Rob holds a Ph. D. in Music from the University of Minnesota, a Master's degree in Instrumental Conducting from Florida State University, and a Bachelor's degree in Music Education from the University of Melbourne. While resident in Australia, he established at Eltham College, an independent K-12 school in Melbourne, a brand new instrumental program recognized throughout the country for its excellence. He also served on the faculty of the University of Melbourne Institute of Education where he taught and coordinated courses in brass, jazz, and instrumental music pedagogy and conducted the Wind Symphony, Brass Choir, and Jazz Big Band.

An experienced and popular guest conductor and musician, he has traveled and worked extensively with professional and amateur student and adult groups. As a performing artist on trumpet and keyboard he has extensive performing experience with a number of domestic and international symphonic and jazz ensembles. He has also served as guest conductor and clinician in all states of Australia and in Alabama, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Florida, Georgia, North Dakota, Ohio, Iowa, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Utah in the U.S. where he has worked with ensembles at the national, state, and regional levels. While resident in Minnesota Rob served as Musical Director for the Roseville Community Band and Associate Conductor of the Grand Symphonic Winds, two civic adult performance groups based in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area. Internationally, he has conducted and presented at major music conferences in Japan, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Europe and has recorded for the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra label. Rob has also served as a regular conductor for the Australian Wind Orchestra from its inception in 1990 including performances at conferences of the World Association of Symphonic Bands & Ensembles. In 2007 he was a member of the faculty of the Bonyi International Youth Music Festival held in Brisbane. He is currently the Artistic Director and Conductor for the Wisconsin Symphonic Winds, an advanced adult group he helped establish in 2004 comprising the best professional and semi-professional players in the greater Fox Valley region of Wisconsin.

He has presented research and workshops at state and national conferences of the Australian Band and Orchestra Directors’ Association, and the Australian Society of Music Educators. He has also served as an invited conducting clinician for the Singapore Ministry of Education. In the United States he has presented papers and workshops at the Music Educators National Conference, the Southeastern Music Education Symposium, and the Wisconsin Music Educators Association. Rob has been published in a number of professional publications including the Journal of Band Research and Teaching Music Through Performance in Band.

Currently an Associate Professor of Music and Director of Bands and Instrumental Music Education at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, he conducts the Wind Ensemble and teaches courses in instrumental music education, conducting, and jazz.