Internationally acclaimed conductor, educator, and orchestrator H. Robert Reynolds passed away peacefully at his Ann Arbor home on January 30, 2026, at the age of 91. Renowned for his contributions to music education and performance, he leaves behind a legacy of excellence. Born in Canton, Ohio, Robert was the only child of Harrah Earl Reynolds and Ethel Curry Reynolds, growing up in Meadville, Pennsylvania.
At age 9, Robert received his first instrument, an E-Flat alto horn, from his grandfather, initiating his lifelong passion for music. Guided by dedicated teachers, Mr. and Mrs. Inglefields, he honed his skills and even conducted his high school band. Robert pursued higher education at the University of Michigan, earning degrees in music education and wind instruments while studying under Elizabeth A. H. Green, whom he deemed “the greatest teacher I ever had.”
Robert launched his career as a high school band director in Michigan before moving to Anaheim High School in California. By 1962, he began his collegiate career at Long Beach State College and joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In 1968, he became director of bands at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
In 1975, he returned to U-M as director of bands, a position he held for 25 years. His tenure expanded student performance opportunities and established a fund that commissioned nearly 40 works, continuing to support new commissions today. Robert later joined the University of Southern California as principal conductor of the wind ensemble, holding the H. Robert Reynolds Professorship in Wind Conducting for 19 years.
Robert also conducted the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings for 35 years and led the Young Artists Wind Ensemble at Tanglewood for two decades. His global performances included prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Sydney Opera House. In 1984, he premiered Karlheinz Stockhausen’s opera “Samstag aus Licht” at La Scala Opera in Milan, recording it for Deutsche Grammophon.
Throughout his career, Robert received numerous accolades, serving as president of the College Band Directors National Association and earning its Lifetime Achievement Award. Duquesne University honored him with an honorary doctorate in 2010, and in 2019, he became the first band conductor since John Philip Sousa to enter the American Classical Music Hall of Fame.
On his 90th birthday, Robert conducted his final public performance at Hill Auditorium with the Michigan Symphony Band. Later, he co-authored “In Pursuit of Great Conducting” with Doris Doyon, sharing his lifetime of lessons at the 2024 Midwest Clinic in Chicago, where an attentive audience of educators and conductors listened intently.
Survived by his wife Kristin, three children, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, Robert’s life will be celebrated at a later date. The family requests donations to the H. Robert Reynolds scholarship fund at the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance in place of flowers.
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