Bob Breithaupt, Drums

Robert Breithaupt enjoys one of America's most diverse musical careers.

While leading the Jazz Arts Group (JAG) as Executive Director since 2001, Breithaupt has also served as the drummer of the Columbus Jazz Orchestra since 1980. As a consultant and spokesperson, he promotes the organizational structure of JAG, one of America's leading non-for-profit jazz organizations, as a model to be replicated by other communities.

In concerts, tours and with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, Breithaupt has appeared with a virtual "Who’s Who" of great jazz talents, including a roster as diverse as Benny Carter, Terry Gibbs, John Pizzarelli and Monty Alexander. He regularly performs with many of the nation's finest orchestras along with trumpet virtuoso Byron Stripling and Broadway star Sandy Duncan.

Breithaupt is an endorser and consultant for the Yamaha Corporation, Sabian, Ltd., Innovative Percussion, and Remo, Inc. As a businessman, Breithaupt was one of the founders of Columbus Pro Percussion, Inc., and served as vice-president for twenty-five years.

Breithaupt is considered one of the nation's leaders in percussion education. He is Professor of Music and Department Chair of Performance Studies at Capital University. 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 is the co-director of the Summer Drum Set Workshops, the author of the textbook, The Complete Percussionist, the DVD entitled Snare Drum Basics, presents clinics and seminars worldwide and is a past-president of the Percussive Arts Society, the international society for drummers and percussionists.

The recipient of numerous honors and awards, Breithaupt has been awarded Bowling Green State University’s Outstanding Graduate Award, was named as a fellow in the Jefferson Academy for Leadership and Governance, was a participant 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, and was the founding chair of the Columbus Cultural Leadership Consortium.