Robert Breithaupt is considered among the industry leaders in percussion education. He was Professor Emeritus at Capital University, where he developed one of the most recognized undergraduate percussion programs in the United States.
A veteran of over 40 years of concerts and tours, Breithaupt has performed in diverse solo, group, and orchestral settings and has appeared with countless jazz and Broadway artists and as drummer and percussionist with over 100 symphony orchestras across the globe. He performed with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, the nation’s oldest not-for-profit jazz orchestra, for 45 years.
Breithaupt was the co-founder of the Summer Drumset Workshops, a contributor to numerous publications, the author of the text, The Complete Percussionist (Barnhouse), the video Snare Drum Basics (Hudson), the video course History and Development of the Drum Set (VapMedia), and has recently developed a virtual instructional program, Percussion Portal, found on his website.
Breithaupt led one of America’s leading non-for-profit jazz organizations, the Jazz Arts Group (JAG), as Executive Director, and was co-founder of Columbus Pro Percussion, Inc., where he served as vice-president for twenty-five years. He is also president of his musical contracting firm RBMusic, Inc.
Breithaupt is also a Past-President of the Percussive Arts Society, was Vice-President of the Jazz Education Network, and has received the Yamaha Legacy Award and Bowling Green State University’s Outstanding Graduate Award.