About Rob
Dr. Robert Traugh (b. 1984, Morgantown, West Virginia) is a composer, conductor, collaborator, educator, and performer. Robert's music showcases a wide range of creative experiences. His compositions include works for wind bands, orchestras, jazz ensembles, dance performances, pageantry, and multimedia collaborations. Robert transitions seamlessly through various genres and mediums, bringing a unique perspective shaped by his background as a public school teacher and his studies in jazz. His deep appreciation for jazz and its numerous derivatives has inspired a wide range of creative projects. He has worked with musicians, screenwriters, large ensembles, recording artists, choreographers, and various businesses.
Robert has collaborated with notable artists, including Cassandra Eisenreich, David Reeves, Voces8, Pathos Trio, Shana Simmons, Jim Nova, and Jason Kush. He has showcased his music in a variety of venues, ranging from elementary school cafeterias hosting young bands to prestigious performance halls at Northwestern University and the University of North Texas. Additionally, his work has been featured on streaming platforms and in visual media. His music has also been performed internationally at the National Flute Association and International Trombone Association conferences.
Rob’s research interests explore electronic aesthetics as an expressive language for engaging with temporality in music, investigating how the sounds, textures, and processes native to electronic music can offer insight into how listeners and performers interpret and experience music. This work bridges his compositional practice and his academic interests, connecting the tools of music technology to deeper questions about how time functions as musical thought.
In addition to his dedication to composing, Rob is deeply connected to music education, having served as a public school secondary band director in the Norwin and Kiski Area School Districts for 12 years. He also served as the President of the Pennsylvania Music Educator's Association District 1. Rob continues to be passionate about nurturing creative pathways in the arts. He is actively engaged as a guest clinician, adjudicator, and conductor. Rob holds the Assistant Professor of Composition (Music Technology) position at the Mary Pappert School of Music, where he is the Program Director for the Composition for Media Degree. He also serves as a conductor of the wind symphony as a member of the artistic staff at Three Rivers Young People’s Orchestras. He is also a founding board member of the Pittsburgh Creators' Project, where he continues to administrate the summer reading sessions. To augment his expertise, he has also participated in wind band conducting symposia at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the University of Minnesota.
Rob attended West Virginia University as a Provost Fellow, earning a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 2026. He holds a Master of Music degree in Electronic Composition from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA, and a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from The Dana School of Music in Youngstown, OH. Throughout his studies, he has been guided by profound influences, including Lynn Purse, Matthew Heap, Jacob Sandridge, Andy Kohn, Alan Hankers, Joseph Wilcox Jenkins, Judith Bowman, Til Meyn, David Morgan, Stephen Gage, and Michael Crist.
Rob resides in Cranberry Township, PA, just north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his wife (and life partner) Bethany and their two children, Gavan and Maia.