Biography
Robert Hawkins is a life-long resident of southeast Michigan. He earned his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Wayne State University where he was principal cornetist with the symphony band. He recently retired from the Detroit Public Schools where he was a music teacher for 31 years.
Robert has been an active free-lance trumpet player in the area since his first gig
at the age of 16 at the old Mauna Loa supper club on W. Grand Boulevard in Detroit. Since 1982 he has been a member of the pit orchestra at the Fisher and Masonic Temple theaters, where he has played the first national tours of Cats
, Les Miserables
, Miss Saigon
, Beauty and the Beast
and many others. He has also played numerous stage shows for celebrities including Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis Jr., Natalie Cole, Barry Manilow, Michael Bolton and Johnny Mathis.
Robert has been a member of the Livonia Symphony for the past four seasons where he serves as principal trumpet. He has also been principal trumpet with the Allen Park/Southern Great Lakes Symphony for the past 17 seasons. Robert lives in Plymouth with his wife Barbara. He and Barbara have three musically talented sons; David, Marten, and Scott.