ROB TAPPER

Educator, Trombonist, Clinician

Rob Tapper is Professor of Trombone and Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Montana where he coordinates the Jazz Program, the UM Jazz Festival, UM Jazz Artist Series and the trombone studio. A relentless advocate for music education, Rob initiated the Spokane All-City Jazz Program 2001 and most recently the Missoula All-City Jazz Program for middle school & high school musicians in 2017. In 2014 Rob created the UM Jazz Artist Series bringing internationally recognized jazz musicians to campus such as Matt Wilson, Benny Green, the Black Art Jazz Collective, Marshall Gilkes, the Jeff Hamilton Trio, Summer Camargo and Dawn Clement with the mission of performing - offering mentorship through musical outreach to all students and community. The Montana Jazz All-State was created with the help of Missoula music educators in 2018, encompassing high school musicians from across the state of Montana. Rob has adjudicated countless festivals and competitions (both classical and jazz) throughout North America and Canada and ensembles under his tutelage have performed with some of the biggest names in the music business and at the Umbria Jazz Festival (Italy) and Jazz Vienne (France). Rob is in the Washington Music Education Association (WMEA) Hall of Fame and is proud to have received the University of Montana 2019 Community Engagement Award and 2022 Arts Missoula Educator of the Year. Rob has had his compositions and arrangements performed by numerous middle schools, high schools, collegiate and professional organizations throughout the United States. Rob has most recently performed with the Missoula Symphony (principal trombone), Spokane Symphony and Billings Symphony. Rob is also a member of the Missoula Jazz Collective and Founder/Artistic Director of the Missoula Jazz Orchestra (MJO). Rob is a Getzen Corporation clinician and performs on Getzen trombones exclusively.