Robert Whaley
Robert Whaley is ending his 50th year as Principal Tubist of the KSO this season. During his long tenure with the orchestra, he has twice been featured as a soloist, performing concertos by Ralph Vaughn Williams and Torbjorn Lunquist as well as conducting the KSO wind section on a Chamber Music Series concert featuring the Mozart Grand Partita and the Dvorak Serenade for Winds. In addition, he often led wind and brass sectional rehearsals for the KSO. He is now performing with the newly formed brass quintet (2014) West Michigan BrassWorks.
Mr. Whaley is Professor Emeritus of Music at Western Michigan University, joining the faculty in 1966, and is a founding member of the renowned Western Brass Quintet. He retired from WMU in 2001. During the academic year 2004-2005, Mr. Whaley rejoined the Western Brass Quintet culminating in a featured concert at the International Trumpet Guild Conference in Bangkok, Thailand in June of 2005. In 1990, Professor Whaley was the first recipient of the College of Fine Arts Teaching Excellence Award, one of eight awards in the University funded by the Michigan State Legislature. He holds music degrees from the University of Kansas and the University of Iowa. His tuba studies were with John Hill, Arnold Jacobs and William Bell with additional studies in instrumental conducting with James Dixon and choral conducting with Clayton Krehbiel.
Mr. Whaley continues to be active as a chamber, solo, and orchestral performer. His career has included numerous solo and chamber music performances, including a highly acclaimed solo recital in New York City’s Carnegie Recital Hall. From 1989-1995, he was Music Director of the WMU University Orchestra. He maintains a limited private teaching studio of outstanding high school students in the Kalamazoo area.
He is married to Judith Whaley, a retired recorder performer and teacher, and mother to their three adult sons. They have three very active granddaughters, all of whom participate actively in musical activities. Mr. Whaley’s spare time involves golf, tennis, and reading, especially about physics.
Mr. Whaley is Professor Emeritus of Music at Western Michigan University, joining the faculty in 1966, and is a founding member of the renowned Western Brass Quintet. He retired from WMU in 2001. During the academic year 2004-2005, Mr. Whaley rejoined the Western Brass Quintet culminating in a featured concert at the International Trumpet Guild Conference in Bangkok, Thailand in June of 2005. In 1990, Professor Whaley was the first recipient of the College of Fine Arts Teaching Excellence Award, one of eight awards in the University funded by the Michigan State Legislature. He holds music degrees from the University of Kansas and the University of Iowa. His tuba studies were with John Hill, Arnold Jacobs and William Bell with additional studies in instrumental conducting with James Dixon and choral conducting with Clayton Krehbiel.
Mr. Whaley continues to be active as a chamber, solo, and orchestral performer. His career has included numerous solo and chamber music performances, including a highly acclaimed solo recital in New York City’s Carnegie Recital Hall. From 1989-1995, he was Music Director of the WMU University Orchestra. He maintains a limited private teaching studio of outstanding high school students in the Kalamazoo area.
He is married to Judith Whaley, a retired recorder performer and teacher, and mother to their three adult sons. They have three very active granddaughters, all of whom participate actively in musical activities. Mr. Whaley’s spare time involves golf, tennis, and reading, especially about physics.