Robert Frelly, D.M.A.

Robert Frelly, D.M.A., serves as the Director of Music Education within the Conservatory of Music.  He is active as an orchestral conductor, presently serving as the newly appointed Music Director of the Yorba Linda Symphony Orchestra, and is the Founder and Music Director of the Orange County Junior Orchestra, a program of 5 ensembles now in it’s 24th season. His previous orchestra posts include Associate Conductor of the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Southern California Pops Orchestra, and Music Director of the University of Southern California Community Orchestra.

Equally at home in the classical, jazz and pop genres, Dr. Frelly has worked with a number of prominent artists, including Doc Severinsen, Bill Conti, Skitch Henderson, Maureen McGovern, and the Empire Brass, and has conducted for film and opera. Dr. Frelly is a frequent guest conductor for all-state and regional honor bands and orchestras, with recent appearances in Arizona, Alabama, Florida, Illinois, and Nevada.  On the international stage he has led performances in Australia, Austria, Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan and Switzerland, and is the Artistic Director of Orchestrating Sydney, an international music festival that brings together the best youth and college musicians from around the world for musical and cultural interactions at the famed Sydney Opera House.  Recently he was invited to serve as the Artistic Director and Festival Conductor for An Orchestral Salute to the Olympics, and international music festival being staged as part of Beijing Perform In Harmony - With Olympic Spirit, the countdown program for the summer games to be held in China in 2008.

An accomplished conductor and educator, Dr. Frelly is the author of a music instructional video series, An Introduction to the Orchestra and is currently preparing a manuscript devoted to conducting and musical interpretation. Dr. Frelly has also authored numerous articles on music and has served as Editor of Upbeat, a national publication devoted to the promotion and development of music educational programs for youth.  A champion of new music, Dr. Frelly has received national recognition on three occasions with the “First Place ASCAP Award for Programming of Contemporary Music in the category of Youth Orchestras”.  He is also the recipient of a Chapman University Faculty Achievement Award, recognizing excellence in teaching and scholarly/creative activity, and two Chapman University Scholarly/Creative Grants.

A strong advocate of the arts, Dr. Frelly has presented clinics and workshops for numerous local, regional, and national arts organizations, including MENC:  The National Association for Music Education, the American Symphony Orchestra League, the Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic, and CMEA: The California Association for Music Education.  At present, Dr. Frelly is a member of the Board of Directors for the Association of California Symphony Orchestras and the Directors Council of the ASOL.  He also serves as a Mentor for MENC, offering on-line advice for its membership.  His past leadership roles include President of CMEA/Southern Section and Chairman of the Youth Orchestra Division of the ASOL. 

Dr. Frelly holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Southern California, and a Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting from California State Univeristy, Long Beach, where he was inducted as a member of the Graduates Dean’s List of University Scholars and Artists.  He also holds dual Bachelor of Music degrees in Music Education and Music Composition from Chapman University, is a published composer, and a member of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.