Since 2015, Bobby Collins has served as Music Director and Co-Founder for The Sound Ensemble, a Seattle based chamber orchestra that promotes diversity and equity, while seeking to be at the forefront of what it means to be a relevant orchestra in the 21st century. He has also served as Music Director of Seattle Festival Orchestra since 2018, where he established the ensemble as the only orchestra in Seattle, providing consistent, year-round access to great orchestral music for kids. In addition to this, Bobby serves as Assistant Conductor for Yakima Symphony Orchestra, a music educator and guest conductor. With a repertoire spanning the ancient to the contemporary, Bobby has worked as a conductor and educator with the entire spectrum of orchestras. His most recent guest conducting engagements include groups such as KammarensembleN (Stockholm), Lake Union Civic Orchestra and Philharmonia Northwest.
As Co-Founder and Music Director, Bobby has contributed heavily to the growth and development of The Sound Ensemble. His work has helped establish TSE as one of the leading new music ensembles in the region. Bobby is uniquely gifted at crafting engrossing programs to enrich and entertain diverse audiences. With both Seattle Festival Orchestra and The Sound Ensemble, he has been instrumental in developing educational programs that engage kids of all ages in classical music.
Bobby has also appeared in concert with orchestras such as St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic, Yakima Symphony Chamber Orchestra, Seattle Collaborative Orchestra, Skagit Symphony, Saratoga Orchestra, Rainier Symphony, Cascade Symphony, Thalia Symphony, Inverted Space Ensemble as well as the Ludus and Leavenworth Summer Theater’s pit orchestras.