Music Director

The Music Director of the Freedom Brass Band is Mr. Robert Jorgensen. Mr. Jorgensen is Director of Bands and Professor of Music at The University of Akron. He also serves as Assistant Director of the School of Music. Under his direction, The University of Akron Symphonic Band has been invited to perform at nine conferences of the Ohio Music Education Association, the 1992 conference of the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) in East Lansing, Michigan, the 1998 CBDNA conference in Kansas City, Missouri, the 2003 American Bandmasters Association Convention at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland, and the 2004 CBDNA conference at the Cincinnati Conservatory/College of Music. The Symphonic Band also performed at Severance Hall in Cleveland in April 2003.

Mr. Robert D. Jorgensen

Professor Jorgensen has been widely honored as a music educator and band conductor. He received the Outstanding Bandmasters Award from the International Assembly of Phi Beta Mu, International Bandmasters Fraternity, at the Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois, in 1999. He received the Citation of Excellence Award from the National Band Association in 1981 and the A. Frank Martin Award from Kappa Kappa Psi in 1992. In 1991, Mr. Jorgensen was elected to membership in the prestigious American Bandmasters Association and is currently President-Elect of this organization. He is also Past President of the Mid-American Conference Band Directors Association.

Mr. Jorgensen earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois and a master's degree from Michigan State University, where he was a student of Leonard Falcone and Kenneth Bloomquist. From 1969-1972, he was euphonium soloist with the United States Army Field Band in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining the faculty at The University of Akron in 1987, Professor Jorgensen was on the faculty at Morehead State University, Kentucky, and was Director of Bands at Midwestern State University, Texas. His concert band in Texas performed for the Texas Music Educators Association convention and the Texas Bandmasters Association convention.