Rubén Darío Gómez

Rubén Darío Gómez received his Master in Music with emphasis in wind band conducting from Middle Tennessee State University in 2015 where he studied with Dr. Reed Thomas. He also received his Bachelor in Music from Universidad Industrial de Santander-Colombia in 2000 where he founded and conducted the Students Symphonic Band during three years.

Originally from Colombia, he has made a widespread job in his country as a conductor, composer, pedagogue, teacher and arranger. In 2016 the Ministry of Culture awarded him with the National Scholarship to Colombians studying internationally; this institution also awarded him with the National Competition Prize in Composition in 2012. In 2010 he earned the Bicentenary Scholarship “Gobernación de Santander” to compose 10 pieces for concert band. Also many of his pieces and arrangements has been played, awarded and published in Colombia and internationally. As a pianist, arranger, and composer, he also has won the most important contest in his country, both in concert band and folk music fields.

As member of the National Program of Bands in Colombia, he has been advisor in areas such as music theory, pedagogy, arrangements and conducting. In addition he has made a prolific pedagogy labor in his own music school “Mochila Cantora” and at Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga (UNAB) during the last 15 years. Gómez was the founder of UNAB Wind Band that he conducted for more than 10 years and has been guest conductor of Symphonic Band Network of Schools of Music in Medellín, Funza Symphonic Band, Manizales Municipal Band and UNAB Symphony Orchestra.

He is currently pursuing his DMA with emphasis in wind band conducting at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln under the guidance of Dr. Carolyn Barber. At Nebraska he is a graduate assistantship and he was also awarded with the Hixson-Lied Fellowship.