Lombardo, Robert, 1932-

Robert Michael Lombardo, composer and teacher, b. March 5, 1932, Hartford, Connecticut. Received musical training at Hartt College of Music, University of Hartford (BMus., composition cum laude, 1954, MMus., composition, 1955), Hochschule für Musik, Berlin (1958-1959) and the University of Iowa (Ph.D., composition, 1959-1961). His principal teachers were Philip Bezanson, Boris Blacher and Arnold Franchetti. In 1959-61 he taught music theory at the University of Iowa and then at Hartt College in 1963-64. In 1964 he became Professor of theory and composition and Composer in Residence at the Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University. In 1985-86 he was Visiting Professor of Composition and Theory at the Oberlin Conservatory. As composer, he has written over 200 works in all media, and his works have been performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Chicago String Ensemble, Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Fine Arts Quartet, Contemporary Chamber Players (Chicago), Hilversum Radio Kamerorkest, Berlin Radio, Friends of the Gamelan and at international music festivals in Turku, Finland and Bilthoven, The Netherlands. Lombardo's commissions include those from Columbia College, Chicago Musical College, Goodman Theatre, Serge Koussevitzky Foundation in the Library of Congress, the Fromm Foundation, WFMT (Chicago), Marlene Ralis-Rosen and Michael Rosen (Oberlin Conservatory), and Mr. and Mrs. Lee A. Freeman. His awards include four from the Illinois Arts Council, two from the National Endowment for the Arts, three from the Ford Foundation, two from BMI and two from the National Federation of Music Clubs, as well as a Guggenheim Fellowship, Sigma Alpha Iota Award, Columbia Dance Center grant, and the Koussevitzky Composition Prize at Tanglewood.