Roy Ernst

Roy Ernst, Professor Emeritus at the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester, started the first New Horizons Band in 1991 at Eastman. New Horizons groups provide entry points to group music making for adults of all ages, including people with no musical background and people who participated in music during school but need a comfortable re-entry point after many years of musical inactivity. 

Roy has written articles and books on music education, conducting, and performance. He earned a Ph. D. from The University of Michigan and has received honors from the national Music Educator’s Association, Delta Omicron, Wayne State University, and The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Roy was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Western University in London,  Ontario. In addition to teaching at Eastman, he has taught at Wayne State University, Georgia State University, and the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music in Sydney, Australia.