Each year the Bowling Green State University College of Musical Arts welcomes a special
musical artist as a part of the Hansen Musical Arts series, a residency created and supported by BGSU
alumni Dorothy E. and DuWayne H. Hansen. From Oct. 28-Nov. 1, the college will host conductor Robert
"Bob" Bernhardt.His visit includes a public lecture entitled: "If They’re Not Looking at
You, Why Do They Need You? A Peek into the Role of the Conductor," at 7 p.m. Oct. 30 in the Thomas
B. and Kathleen M. Donnell Theatre at the Wolfe Center for the Arts. The lecture is free and open to the
public.As the Hansen Resident, Bernhardt plans a busy itinerary. "I’m going to be working with, and
getting to know, as many aspects of campus/community musical life as I can. I’ll be talking to
instrumentalists about the audition process, and answering as many questions as I can about life in the
profession," he said.His schedule includes conducting a rehearsal with the Bowling Green
Philharmonia and the Toledo Youth Orchestra, working with student conductors, with singers and
accompanists in opera, and "meeting as many people, and hearing as many stories, as I can," he
said.Bernhardt is not a typical guest; his early career aspirations revolved around baseball rather than
music. In fact, he spent four days in spring training with the Kansas City Royals before deciding he was
made for music and not the big leagues.A New York native, Bernhardt earned his master’s degree from the
University of Southern California in music, under the tutelage of Daniel Lewis.He began his opera career
with the Birmingham Opera, becoming the assistant conductor of the Louisville Orchestra in 1989. He is a
frequent guest conductor of the Nashville Opera and owns the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera."By the
time I arrive at BGSU," Bernhardt said, "I’ll have guest conducted the Detroit Symphony,
Boston Pops, Dallas Symphony, Grand Rapids Symphony, and Edmonton Symphony, as well as conducted
concerts with the Louisville Orchestra, where I am principal pops conductor, and Chattanooga Symphony
and Opera, where I am Music Director Emeritus and conductor of pops. I also am Artist-in-Residence at
Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee."Along with an extensive resume, Bernhardt has worked with
Broadway stars and pop rockers, including Ann Hampton Calloway, Patti LaPone and The Beach Boys.He said
he is excited to visit BGSU. "This will be my first time on campus, and I’ve heard marvelous things
about BGSU and the arts."The Dorothy E. and DuWayne Hansen Musical Arts Series, established in
1996, brings significant representatives of the musical and creative arts to Bowling Green to share
their talent and knowledge with students and the community at large.Dorothy Hansen is an alumna of the
College of Musical Arts and DuWayne Hansen is a former chair of the college’s music education
department.Previous guests include Howard Gardner, Branford Marsalis, Nancy Giles, Terence Blanchard,
Benjamin Zander, Craig Schulman, Marin Alsop and Bob McGrath.Online:www.bgsu.edu/music.