Richard W. Robbins is the Director of Choral Activities at Shenandoah Conservatory (Virginia, USA), Chorus Director and James Erb Choral Chair of the Richmond Symphony Chorus, and Artistic Director of the Washington, D.C.-based early music vocal ensembles, Carmina and Illuminare. Robbins has garnered high praise for his work, with the press describing his choruses as “moving” (Houston Chronicle) and “powerful” (Duluth News Tribune). He is a sought-after clinician, adjudicator, and director for choral festivals and honor choirs across the United States, having conducted in cities such as New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Orlando, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Miami. His choral performances have been featured on television and on nationally-syndicated radio programs, including American Public Media’s “Pipedreams.” Robbins made his conducting debut with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra in 2024, leading Messiah, and assumed the role of Chorus Master with the Opera Festival of Chicago in 2025.