Robert Chastain (b. 1981), BM University of Florida, began his formal musical training at the age of 17 in the public school system of Pinellas County, Florida. He currently pursues an MM degree in the studio of composer Daniel J. Becker at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Mr. Chastain recently premiered his Requiem in bello (Requiem in Time of War) for wind symphony with his ensemble, the San Francisco Wind Symphony. Other performances/commissions include Five Miniatures for Solo Violin for Leonie Bot at the SF Conservatory, Love and Its Mysteries, a set of songs for soprano Rebeckah Kenote, the score for the independent film Hit for director Jeff Faulkinbury of Seven and a Half Seals Productions, Kyrie and O magnum mysterium for the Jubilus Concert Series at St. Augustine's Catholic Church, Love, thou art high for mezzo-soprano Lindsay Johnson, and For God So Loved the World for the Gainesville Institute of Religion. He also composed and recorded all of the instrumental accompanying tracks to the Bode Comprehensive String Method for Young Players. His composition teachers include Paul Richards, James Paul Sain, Paul Koonce, and Paul Basler. He has also presented in a masterclass with Libby Larsen.

Mr. Chastain enjoys an active performing career as a choral bass and a bassoonist. He currently sings for the Solemn Mass Choir at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church in San Francisco and the San Francisco Conservatory Chorus. He has also performed with the Ocala Symphony Orchestra (5 seasons), the University of Florida Wind Symphony, Orchestra, Choir, and New Music Ensemble, the Gainesville Civic Chorus, the Gainesville Civic Orchestra, the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra, and the Bach Festival Orchestra.

As a teacher, Mr. Chastain works for the San Francisco Opera as a composer teaching artist where he teaches classroom “process” based opera composition in the Bay Area public school system. He also worked extensively with middle and high school bassoonists around the Alachua County, Florida area. During the summers of 2002 and 2003 he was the bassoon teacher at the University of Florida Summer Music Camp and also taught on the staff of the Seminole High School Marching Band in Pinellas County. From 2004 to 2006 Mr. Chastain served as music director of the O2B Kids musical theatre troop in Gainesville, Florida, where he wrote music for the program performed at the Center for the Performing Arts in Gainesville.