In 2015, he was named Principal Pops Conductor of the Grand Rapids Symphony.
[1] Born in Rochester, New York, Robert Bernhardt holds a master's degree from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, where he studied with Daniel Lewis.
He is also a Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of Union College in Schenectady, New York, where he was an Academic All-American Baseball Player and captain of the soccer team.
He first conducted the Boston Pops in 1992, at the invitation of John Williams, and he has been a frequent guest ever since.
In the world of pops, Bernhardt has worked with stars of Broadway including Brian Stokes Mitchell, Ron Raines, Debbie Gravitte, Megan Hilty, and Kelli O’Hara; with pop/rock/R&B, Indie and country acts including the Beach Boys, the B-52s, Violent Femmes, Ne-Yo, Ricky Skaggs and Wynonna; and with brilliant, varied entertainers such as Ben Folds, Randy Newman, Renee Fleming, Jason Alexander and Patti LuPone.