Bobby R. Francis is the Director of Bands at Texas Christian University. Mr. Francis serves as Conductor of
the TCU Wind Symphony, teaches graduate and undergraduate conducting, and is responsible for the supervision of all aspects of the TCU Band program. Mr. Francis is an elected member of the American Bandmasters Association. He has served as guest conductor of the U.S. Army Band – “The Pershing’s Own,” Frost School of Music – University of Miami Wind Symphony, The U.S. Coast Guard Band, the Lone Star Youth Wind Orchestra, and the Richardson All-Star Band. Mr. Francis’ ensembles have performed at many national, regional, and state conferences including a performance at the College Band Directors National Conference (CBDNA) in Ann Arbor, Michigan and in Athens, Georgia, as well as the Texas Music Educators Association Convention in San Antonio, Texas and at the American Bandmasters Association Convention in College Station, Texas. The TCU Wind Symphony has performed with guest artists including the American Brass Quintet, Patrick Sheridan, Brian Bowman, Allen Vizzutti, Jon Lewis, Joe Eckert, Gary Whitman, Jesus Castro-Balbi, and Markus Theinert. His ensembles have performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City, Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, and the Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth. Many composers have been actively involved with performances of their works with the TCU Wind Symphony including John Mackey, Frank Ticheli, David Maslanka, Michael Colgrass, James Syler, James Stephenson, Eric Ewazen, and others.
Mr. Francis is in demand as a clinician/consultant at various conventions and conducting workshops including the Texas Music Educators Association Convention, the Texas Bandmasters Association Convention, University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music, New Mexico State University, and the Arkansas Tech Band Camp Conducting Symposium. In addition, he has conducted research on regional wind band repertoire at the Pannonische Forschungsstelle Kunstuniversität Graz/Expositur Oberschutzen in Oberschutzen, Austria. He has presented teacher-training sessions in Hurst-Euless-Bedford, Mesquite, and Carrollton-Farmers Branch among others.
Mr. Francis has produced many compact disc recordings of his ensembles. Recordings of the TCU Wind Symphony have recently been broadcast on WRR – Dallas-Ft. Worth’s Classical Radio station. He has conducted concerts in the Sydney Opera House (Sydney, Australia), Carnegie Hall (New York, New York), Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center (Dallas, Texas), Bass Performance Hall (Fort Worth, Texas), Royal College of Music (London, England), Hill Auditorium (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan), Normandy Beach (France) and several locations in Italy.
As a former member of the Texas All-State Band, Mr. Francis was active as a performer for many years at the beginning of his career. He served as principal clarinetist with the Texas Wind Symphony, was a frequent member of the Dallas Wind Symphony, and was clarinetist with the University of Texas at Arlington Faculty Woodwind Quintet for six years. As a woodwind specialist, Mr. Francis performed as a saxophonist/woodwind performer with many performing artists including Gladys Knight and the Pips, Bob Crosby, Bobby Short, Johnny Mathis, Red Skelton, John Davidson and others. He was a saxophonist with the Mal Fitch Society Big Band for many years performing at social events, Texas Governors’ Inaugural Balls, radio broadcasts, and other government and social events. He was also the founder and clarinetist with “Razzmajazz” – a Dixieland band that performed at Six Flags Over Texas, Great Adventure Amusement Park in New Jersey, and many Dallas-area parties, conventions, and social events.
Mr. Francis has provided the opportunity to over fourteen hundred students from Texas to travel and
perform internationally. Currently he serves as the Executive Artistic Director of the International Festival of Bands and Percussion Ensembles. Festivals have recently been held in Sydney, Australia; Normandy Beach, France; London, England, Italy and Hawaii. He resides in Colleyville with his wife, Teresa, who is a middle school band director and French horn performance artist. They have two daughters: Tamsyn,
a TCU sophomore who plays French horn; and Breelyn, who plays piano and is in sixth grade.
Performance – Bass Hall Gala – John Corigliano Guest Composer
Performance – Carnegie Hall, TCU Wind Symphony
Performances – Sydney Opera House (Sydney), Royal College of Music (London), Normandy Beach (France), Meyerson Symphony Center (Dallas), Pearl Harbor (Hawaii)
Performance – Throughout Europe: England, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland
Performance – College Band Directors National Association – Ann Arbor, Michigan
Performance – American Bandmasters Association – College Station, TX and Fort Worth, TX
Performance – Texas Music Educators Association Convention (3 times)
Performance – Texas Community College Band Directors Association Honor Band – Guest Conductor (2 times) – TMEA
Performance – Lone Star Youth Wind Ensemble – Guest Conductor (2 times), Dallas/Plano Performance – Association of Texas Small School Bands – Guest Conductor – TMEA, San Antonio
In-Service Presentations – Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD, Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, Mesquite ISD, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD
Elected Member – American Bandmasters Association
Elected Member – Phi Beta Mu
Adjudicated invitations to perform at many prestigious national events
Selected as Alumni Ambassador – East Texas State University/A&M-Commerce
Outstanding Service Award – East Texas State University
All-Level Teachers Certification – State of Texas
Texas Music Educators Association
Texas Bandmasters Association
College Band Directors National Association
American Bandmasters Association
Kappa Kappa Psi
Phi Mu Alpha
Tau Beta Sigma (Honorary)
Pi Kappa Lambda
President – Big 12 Band Directors Association
President – College Band Directors National Association, Southwest Division
In-Service Presentations – Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD, Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, Mesquite ISD, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD
Clinic Presentation – Texas Bandmasters Association, San Antonio (3 times)
Clinic Presentation – Texas Music Educators Association, San Antonio
