Rubén Darío Gómez
Latin American Conductor and Composer
Biography
Rubén Darío Gómez
Rubén Darío Gómez is a Colombian conductor and composer and the current Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. His responsibilities include teaching undergraduate and graduate conducting courses and leading the SIUE Wind Symphony. He also coordinates the SIUE Bi-State Honor Band Festival.
Originally from Colombia, Dr. Gómez earned his DMA in wind band conducting and secondary area in composition from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, as well as his Master of Music from Middle Tennessee State University and his Bachelor of Music from Universidad Industrial de Santander (Colombia).
Before his appointments in the United States, he taught at two universities in his country for twelve years and served as a national advisor in the band program for the Ministry of Culture, as well as music director of his own school of music, Corporación Cultural Mochila Cantora. His commitment to the band movement in his home country is unquestionable.
His compositions have been performed and published in Colombia, Europe and the United States, including at events such as the Chicago Midwest Clinic on two occasions. He has written works for artists of international prestige such as Jeremy Wilson, Manuel Martínez and the Barcelona Clarinet Players, who have also included them in their recordings.
Some of his most important awards include: National Music Award in Composition (Colombia 2012), scholarship for Colombians studying abroad (2016), the student composer competition organized by Metropolitan Winds in Boston (2019), the Hixon-Lied and F. Pace Woods scholarships awarded by the College of Arts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and the Mike Moss Conducting Grant from CBDNA. He has presented at important international events such as the WASBE International Conference, the CBDNA National Conference, and the Midwest Clinic.
He is the current co-director of the Edwardsville Municipal Band and the Music Director of the Saint Louis Wind Symphony. He also has an active schedule as a guest conductor both in the United States and Latin America.