Keynote Speaker 2021

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Photo of Dr. Rob Deemer
Dr. Rob Deemer of SUNY Fredonia will present the keynote address regarding how research has shaped his career as a music composer.

Dr. Rob Deemer is a composer, conductor, educator, author, and advocate. His works have been commissioned and performed by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, the President’s Own Marine Band, the U.S. Army Orchestra, the wind ensembles at the University of Texas and the University of Missouri at Kansas City. His work as an advocate for underrepresented composers led him to create the Composer Diversity Database and the Institute for Composer Diversity. As an author, Deemer has become well known for his writings for NewMusicBox, Sequenza21, and the New York Times. Deemer is a Professor and the Head of Composition at the State University of New York at Fredonia.


His research interests include: composition – solo, chamber, choral, wind ensemble, orchestra, and dramatic works; composer diversity with focuses on women composers and composers of color; contemporary composers and their role in today’s society; social media and technology in the classroom.