Professor and Music Department Chair, Foothill College
Secrets, Rumors, and Lies: The Life and Death of Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky
Robert Hartwell teaches classes at Foothill College in music history, music of multicultural America, and contemporary American culture.
A champion of student-centered curricula, he pioneered Foothill’s innovative coursework in popular culture that has become Foothill’s most sought-after classes.
As part of his commitment to welcoming the uninitiated into classical music, Dr. Hartwell co-authored Great Composers and Music Masterpieces of Western Civilization – three-volume textbook on the history of Western music. He also contributed to The Quarterly Journal of the Riemenschneider Bach Institute and to New Pedagogies in Higher Education.
Professor Hartwell frequently lectures in the community. He is a regular guest lecturer at the Institute for the Study of Western Civilization and a pre-performance lecturer for the San Francisco Opera.
Hel has served as a commencement speaker at Foothill College and is committed to the egalitarian mission of California’s community college system.
Professor Hartwell holds a Bachelor’s Degree in piano performance from California State University, a Masters’ Degree in music history from San Francisco State University, and an Ed.D in music education from Columbia University.