Anderson, Robert T.

Robert Theodore Anderson was born October 5, 1934 in Chicago, Illinois. He began playing piano at 5 years old, even playing by ear before he had his first lesson. As a 13-year-old, Anderson went to hear French virtuoso Marcel Dupré, organist of St. Sulpice in Paris, play at the summer weekly series at Rockefeller Chapel. He started organ lessons at 14 and played for Sunday morning services at Hyde Park Methodist Church in Chicago while at Hyde Park high school and continuing piano with Mary Ruth Craven. He was registered with the American Conservatory of Music, and gave his student recitals in downtown Chicago under its sponsorship.

While Anderson was at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, studying with Lillian Mecherle McCord, he spent summers as the organist of Fourth Presbyterian Church on North Michigan Avenue in Chicago. During this time he had a weekly composition lesson with his college mentor, Frank Bohnhorst.

Anderson was organist at Second Presbyterian Church in Bloomington, Illinois from 1952-1955, and organist/choir director at the United Church of Christ in Milford, Connecticut from 1955-1957. He served as organist of the University Chapel and Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas from 1960 until retirement.

Anderson was also the summer organist and choir master at the First Methodist Church in Evanston, Illinois. He received the American Guild of Organists’ Associate Certificate (AAGO) at First United Methodist Church at Oak Park in 1955. He received his Fellow Certificate (FAGO) in September of 1957. Anderson studied organ with Heinrich Fleischer and Frederick Marriott, composition with Harold Friedell and Seth Bingham, and harpsichord with Maria Jager.

His composition studies continued at Union Theological Seminary, New York with Harold Friedell (Master of Sacred Music, magna cum laude, 1957; Doctor of Sacred Music, 1961). His Fulbright scholarships to Germany (1957-1959) allowed him to study organ with Helmut Walcha during which time he continued perfecting his skills as an improviser. He returned to Union Seminary to continue his study of composition with Seth Bingham. His final project was the composition of a cantata, “Garden of Gethsemane” on a text by Boris Pasternak. His “Triptych” was composed in 1958 and played by Robert Baker, his teacher at Union, at that year’s National Convention of the American Guild of Organists in Houston, Texas.

From 1960 to 1996 he served as Professor of Organ and Sacred Music at Southern Methodist University. Thus Dallas was Anderson’s home for almost all of his professional life. His honors include Distinguished Alumnus, Illinois Wesleyan University in 1972; First Meadows Distinguished Teaching Professor, Southern Methodist University, 1981; and Distinguished University Professor, 1996.

It was through Anderson’s insistence on high quality and perfectionism that the Fisk organs came to be built for Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas and the Caruth Auditorium at Southern Methodist University. He served as organ consultant for both instruments.

Widely known as “RTA”, Anderson’s reputation as a pedagogue was legendary and he was known as a fantastic and inspiring teacher. He was extremely demanding and knew how to get the very best out of each student. He leaves behind a legacy of brilliant students, the concert artists of today, including Dr. George Baker, Mary Preston, Wolfgang Rubsam, Carole Terry, Bruce Bengtson, Ross Wood, John Chapell Stowe, Stefan Engels, and scores of others. He demanded much from his students, but he gave back all that he had to give to help and nurture them. He freely shared his immense personal library of books, recordings and musical scores.

Anderson died on May 29, 2009 in Honolulu, Hawaii after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Source: Obituary written by Dorothy Faller, Scott Cantrell, and Robert Baker. 2009. Box 1, Folder 35.

From the guide to the Robert T. Anderson papers SMU 2009. 0420., 1940s-2009, (Southern Methodist University Archives, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University)