Robert John Shafer, Jr. (born January 1, 1946[1]) is a Grammy Award-winning[2][3] American conductor,[4] classical composer,[5] educator[6][7][8] and church musician (pianist, organist[9][10]).
Shafer graduated from James Madison High School, in Vienna, Virginia, returning to teach there after college.
[15] Shafer studied music composition and conducting for nine summers with Nadia Boulanger[10][16] at Le Conservatoire Américain, France.
As an educator, Shafer's work at James Madison High School[8] attracted national attention,[6][7] especially for his conducting a first-rate madrigal group.
When he served as music director of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception,[9] he composed and conducted a setting of Tu es Petrus in honor of Pope John Paul’s October 1979 visit to Washington, D.C.