Robert Breithaupt is considered one of today’s leaders in percussion education. He is Professor of Music and Department Chair of Performance Studies at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. Since 1978, Breithaupt has developed one of the most recognized undergraduate percussion programs in the United States, producing students that are successful in performing, teaching and the music industry. He was the co-founder of the Summer Drum Set Workshops, author of the textbook The Complete Percussionist, and the DVD entitled Snare Drum Basics, presents clinics and seminars worldwide. Breithaupt is a past-president of the Percussive Arts Society and currently serves as Vice-President of the Jazz Education Network (JEN).
In over 30 years of concerts and tours, Breithaupt has performed in diverse solo, group, and has appeared with a virtual “Who’s Who” of great jazz talents such as Terry Gibbs, John Pizzarelli, Kirk Whalum, and dozens of other notable artists. He regularly performs with many of the nation's finest orchestras along with trumpet virtuoso Byron Stripling.
Breithaupt is an artist/endorser and consultant for the Yamaha Corporation, Sabian, Ltd., and Remo, Inc., and has his own signature drum stick line, produced by Innovative Percussion. As a businessman, Breithaupt was one of the founders of Columbus Pro Percussion, Inc. where he was its vice-president for twenty-five years. He is also president of RB Music, Inc., a musical contracting and consulting firm.
Breithaupt was the Executive Director of the Jazz Arts Group of Columbus (JAG) from 2001-2012, and has also served as the drummer of JAG’s Columbus Jazz Orchestra since 1980.
The recipient of numerous honors and awards, Breithaupt received Bowling Green State University’s Outstanding Graduate Award, was a fellow in the Jefferson Academy for Leadership and Governance, participated in the prestigious Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders in the Arts, a joint program of National Arts Strategies and the Stanford Graduate School of Business, was the founding chair of the Columbus Cultural Leadership Consortium and is a board member of Experience Columbus.
