Bob Hause had a stellar career as a musician, composer, conductor, and music educator. He was born in Shelby, NC, and graduated from Shelby High School, where he composed the school’s alma mater. His sister Patricia ("Trish"), four years his younger, describes him as "just a wonderful brother who always let me tag along on his adventures." He is remembered as the type of boy who could excel at anything that interested him, from building things, to performing skits, to learning his piano, to conversing with the distant world on his ham radio.
He was born with a sense of humor and an interest in having fun with everything he did. He delighted in the hilarious yet accomplished music of Spike Jones. When he wanted to join the school band, his band director arbitrarily assigned him to the trombone. According to Trish, he practiced abundantly (often too much for her taste), and commuted to Charlotte to play in a civic orchestra (precursor to the Charlotte Symphony) as a teenager. Self-discipline and a love of accomplishment was one of Robert's enduring hallmarks, which united well with his musical talent and great affability.
As a teen, he attended the Brevard Music Camp, then moved on to study music at the University of Michigan. There he mastered the trombone and earned his Bachelors of Music Education cum laude in 1958. He played for two years under the famed band director William Revelli, but his ambition was to conduct orchestras.
"I organized a chamber string orchestra there, for the express purpose of giving me conducting experience," he said. "We played Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and a Vivaldi concerto grosso for broadcast on the university's FM station."
Michigan's orchestra conductor, Josef Blatt, appointed young Hause to be his assistant, a post he was to keep for three years while still a student. Among his memories are conducting the offstage ensemble at Hill Auditorium in a performance and recording of Mahler's Second. He furthered his conducting studies under Elizabeth Green and had a master class at Tanglewood. He earned his MM in Music Theory in 1960. At the University of Michigan, he met Karen McCann, a precocious piano student from Monticello, Illinois, and they married on June 18, 1961. U-M was also a place where enduring friendships were made with several musicians who would later help to comprise the music faculty at the East Carolina School of Music in a time of great expansion and achievement.
After graduating, Robert's first job was as band director at Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville, Florida, which required him to write marching band routines and was perhaps the only job in his life he truly did not like. It only lasted a year and was tempered by his role as the Assistant Conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra (and trombonist) under James Christian Pfohl, founder of the Brevard Music Center and an early mentor. Their first son, Eric, was born here, and in 1962, Bob and Karen moved to DeLand, Florida where he accepted a position in conducting and music theory at Stetson University. Here his sons Jonathan and Evan were born. His Florida activities included conducting at the Delius and Sarasota Music Festivals, and he is credited with conducting the Florida premiere of Stravinksy's Symphony of Psalms. In Florida, Bob was also first introduced to sailing, his future lifelong recreational passion.
In 1967, he accepted a position as Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. During his four decades at East Carolina University, he strived to create a world-class music education program that extended far beyond the University walls. He became Conductor of the ECU Symphony Orchestra and Assistant Dean of the School of Music, a position he held until his retirement in 2005. He founded the North Carolina Suzuki Institute with Joanne Bath and served as director. He collaborated with Charles Kuralt and Loomis McGlohon to conduct “North Carolina is My Home” for UNC Public Television. He arranged and conducted the two performances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at East Carolina, both of which were recorded for LP. He was also active in the local arts community. He was Chairman of and helped found the Greenville Boys Choral Association, as well as conducted the Greenville Community Symphony on many occasions, including collaboration with the North Carolina Academy of Dance Arts annual production of “The Nutcracker“.
He also created an annual series of special concerts for local elementary school children, and composed and arranged several instrumental and choral selections. He also traveled the country guest conducting for many musical arts organizations. He was a guest conductor for several summers at the Brevard Music Camp, Interlochen Arts Camp, and at the Eastern Music Festival. He once conducted a pops orchestra from the deck of the USS North Carolina for the Riverside Pops festival in Wilmington, NC.
His passion for music education translated into a tireless devotion to Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He served as North Carolina's Province Governor from 1976-1985, then as National President from 1991-1994. He is Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, and Pi Kappa Lambda.
Hause was an experienced and avid sailor, and he was well-known to his students, friends, and Family as “Captain Bob”. He earned his USCG Captain’s License and was a leader and active member of the North Carolina Power Squadron, Pamlico-Tar River Chapter.
“Sailing is really an art,” he said. “It’s like music because you can never learn it all.”
He is survived by his wife, Karen, of Greenville; three sons: Eric Hause of Norfolk, VA, Jonathan Hause of Wilmington, NC, and Evan Hause and wife Maureen of Brooklyn, NY; his sister, Patricia “Trish” Hause Losee and husband, Frank, of Willow Spring, NC; and a granddaughter, Elena Hause.
Contributions may be made to the Sinfonia Educational Foundation (www.sinfonia.org) in memory of Robert. Funds raised will be utilized to form a memorial scholarship in Mr. Hause’s name.