Meet the musical director

Robert Laguna

Robert Laguna is an accomplished performer, arranger, conductor, and practitioner weaving elements of the body-mind-spirit connection into his music and life. Laguna was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico and completed his bachelor's at Southwest Texas State University where he studied music education and went on to teach band in the Texas public school systems for 8 years. He then completed his master's at the Academy of Oriental Medicine at Austin where he studied Asian medicine thereafter going into private practice as an acupuncturist. In 1999, he became the dean of students at his alma mater, AOMA.

Laguna joined the Austin Civic Wind Ensemble in 1997. Later that year, he became the semi-conductor for the group, assisting Rick Glascock from 1997-2003 and Paul Crockett from 2003-2005. In 2005, he was selected as Conductor of the Austin Civic Wind Ensemble. While a member of ACWE, he joined other civic music groups including the Austin Philharmonic Orchestra and Cori Spezzatti. He also joined and formed performing ensembles like the Frontier Brass, Austin Brass Band, and the Brandished Brass.