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Bio / Education

At the end of 2021, Kevin Robb returned to the United States to a position that embodies the culmination of his experience as a musician, educator, and administrator. He currently heads the Music Department at Heart of Los Angeles, an exceptional not-for-profit organization, providing quality free music instruction to an under-resourced community in central Los Angeles. As Director, he leads the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (YOLA) and HOLA Music Studios (HMS) programs, in partnership with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, as well as the Eisner Intergenerational Music program (EIM). These three vibrant projects serve close to 450 youth and other community members. At HOLA he oversees a staff comprised of eight administrators and 30 teaching artists. Thursday evenings, he directs the Eisner Intergenerational Big Band, bringing together musicians from teenagers to seniors in rehearsing and performing outstanding jazz ensemble repertoire.

From 2019 through 2021, Kevin took on the role of Director of Performing and Visual Arts at the Escuela Americana in El Salvador, where he led an 18-member faculty team through the pandemic and back to in-person teaching and learning. At EA he designed and put into place curricular programs in Music, Drama, Art and Art & Technology (Photography and Digital Fabrication) for 1200 students Pre-K through 12th grade.

From 2016-2018, he taught IB Music and directed the Jazz Ensemble at Verde Valley School in Sedona, Arizona, one of the top 15 IB boarding schools in the United States, while working frequently as a clinician at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.

Previously, in Madrid, Spain, he built up woodwind programs at the British Council School and the Escuela Municipal de Música de Collado Mediano. In 2012 he was named Coordinator of the Music 21 program at BCS, overseeing the work of 11 music teachers with over 400 students and directing the jazz program. At BCS he also founded the curricular ClassBand project in partnership with Yamaha Europe, incorporating 18 inclusive concert bands across 4th, 5th and 6th grades and involving over 350 students.

His earned degrees include a Master's in Music summa cum laude from Western Washington University, Gold and Vermeil medals in saxophone and chamber ensemble performance from the Bordeaux Conservatory, France, and a Bachelor's in English Literature cum laude from the University of Santa Clara, California. His convalidated degrees (UE qualifications) from the Spanish Ministry of Education are the Título Superior de Música in Jazz (the highest possible degree in the conservatory system), the Licenciatura (Bachelor's) in English Philology and the Professor of Saxophone degree. His mentors include Chuck Israels, Barry Harris and Jean-Marie Londeix.

As a performer, his versatility and musical expertise have been notable trademarks, and in the past three decades he has maintained an intense level of professional activity. As a free-lance musician, he has accompanied many of Spain's top recording artists in national and international tours, performing in France, Germany, Portugal, México, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Chile and Gabon. He was a founding member and lead alto of Spain's Orquesta Nacional de Jazz and has recorded soundtracks for a number of Spanish films, television programs and radio shows. In Madrid, he played in the pit orchestra for musicals and other theatrical productions, including those of the Spanish National Theatre Company. In 2011, in recognition of his musical trajectory, he was named Yamaha® Performing Artist. As a composer, his numerous works are registered with the Sociedad General de Autores de España (SGAE).

Completely bilingual and bicultural, Kevin has dedicated much of his time to fostering music education in Spain, Latin America and the United States. He is Key Teacher for the European ClassBand project sponsored by Yamaha Music. During 2006-2016, he was the official Representative for Madrid and central Spain for the United Kingdom's not-for-profit organization, the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, organizing music exams and evaluations as well as courses in professional development for teachers. In 2018 he was appointed Music Examiner for the International Baccalaureate program world-wide.


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