Dr. Rob Sanderl

Performer, composer, educator, and pedagog, Rob Sanderl is a well-known musician and artist in the field of percussion. His versatility in almost any setting, from jazz, classical and contemporary, to drum corps, has earned him the opportunity to perform in many prestigious settings around the world. As Associate Professor of Music and Director of Percussion Studies at Radford University in Virginia, Sanderl has transformed the Percussion Studies Program at the University to one of prominence.

Performer

Rob has appeared as a soloist and ensemble performer in the United States and Europe. He has performed twice at both the distinguished International Percussion Ensemble Week in Croatia and the BUMfest Percussion Festival in Slovenia. Rob appeared in a performance at the Rochester International Jazz Festival and as a clinician and performer twice at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in the cities of Dallas and Indianapolis. Additionally, he has appeared at numerous PAS Days of Percussion in New York, Virginia and North Carolina and at the McCormick Marimba Festival.

In April of 2018, Rob debuted his new duo with long-time friend and percussionist Tom Marceau, performing at the Crane School of Music. Together the pair premiered a new concert for two percussionists by Adam Silverman with the Radford Wind Ensemble, and served as guest artists at the Heartland Marimba Festival. Sanderl has also served as both principal percussion and section member at the Wintergreen Performing Arts summer season.

Educator

As an educator Rob is known for his diversity. Under his direction, the Radford University Percussion Program has gained a great deal of notoriety. The percussion ensemble has performed internationally twice, and made its debut at the Kennedy Center in 2015.  The ensemble has also performed at the McCormick Marimba Festival, and appeared at numerous PAS Days of Percussion in both Virginia and North Carolina. Under Rob’s direction, the University’s Percussion Ensemble performed in concert with a variety of artists, including: Michael Burritt, Anders Astrand, Bob Becker, Bill Cahn, Thomas Burritt, Gordon Stout, Maraca2, and also worked with Amadinda Percussion, So Percussion, Third Coast Percussion and Line Upon Line Percussion.

Sanderl has presented countless clinics around the country and in Europe on various instruments including drum set, marimba, snare drum, and Basel Drumming.  Specifically, he presented clinics in the areas of marimba and snare drum at the International Percussion Ensemble Week in Croatia and the BUMfest Percussion Festival in Slovenia, as well as at the Ljubljana Music Academy. Additionally, he has given sessions at leading universities such as the Eastman School, Ithaca College, James Madison University, UNCG, and many more. Rob has also presented at conferences in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida, South Carolina, Virginia and North Carolina.

A true testament to his successes as a educator lies with the accomplishments of his students. Year after year, Rob’s students have been admitted to top graduate programs across the country and have won auditions with premier military ensembles.

Composer

As a composer, Rob has had pieces published with Tapspace, C. Alan and Honeyrock Publications. His solo repertoire can be heard both here in the United States and abroad including at DCI solo competitions. His ensemble works have also been performed by many universities in the U.S. Sanderl is also an avid performer of new music, having commissioned works by Michael Burritt, Ivan Trevino, Baljinder Sekhon, Elliot Cole, and Adam Silverman.  

Marching Arts

Rob’s skills as a performer, educator and composer grew from his long history and love of the marching arts, which became evident to him as a child in the 6th grade. In 1999, on his summer break from Crane, Rob gave up his summer vacation to improve his skills, playing snare drum with the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps. As his knowledge grew, Rob moved from performance to direction, where from 2002-2005 he served as percussion director and designer for the Arlington Admiral Marching band in New York. He and his band won two Musical Arts Conference Championships, one New York State Championship, two High Percussion Awards, a first and second place finish at Bands of America Regionals, and made the 2004 semifinals at the Bands of American Grand National Championships.  Rob also served on the staff of the Madison Scouts, and was Caption Head for the Empire Statesmen Drum and Bugle Corps from 2008-2009.  Rob continues to be an active arranger in the marching idiom, having written for groups in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and Iowa, receiving numerous state championships and high percussion awards. Additionally, he has written for the USC Trojan Band, The University of Buffalo, and the Sunrisers Drum and Bugle Corps.

Rob received his DMA and Masters in Percussion Performance from the Eastman School of Music, as well as the coveted Performers Certificate.  He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the Crane School of Music with a Performer’s Certificate.  During his education, Rob had the privilege to study with well-known musicians John Beck, Jim Petercsak, John Riley, Erik Forrester, Ernie Musquiz, and John Pratt