Rob Tapper

Rob Tapper is Associate Professor of Trombone and Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Montana where he coordinates the UM Jazz Festival, the UM Jazz Artist Series, three big bands, six small groups (combos), an undergraduate Jazz Degree 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. Recently Rob helped create the very first Montana Jazz All-State weekend encompassing high school musicians from across the state. Rob has been awarded the 2019 UM Outstanding Community Engagement award, a Washington State “2008 Teacher of the Year Award” and is in the Washington Music Education Association (WMEA) Hall of Fame. Rob has initiated a series of Summer Jazz Workshops spreading jazz education throughout the Northwest. As an active performer and teacher in both classical and jazz idioms, he has been featured as performer, adjudicator and guest artist at jazz festivals, concert halls and conferences in orchestral, jazz and commercial settings around the United States, Europe and Canada. Rob is currently Principal Trombone in the Missoula Symphony, Director of the Missoula Jazz Orchestra (MJO) and has degrees in Music Education (UNH) and Jazz and Commercial Media (Eastman). Rob is a Getzen clinician and plays Getzen trombones exclusively.