Robert Rankin is a composer, teacher, and writer. His music, which has been described as “powerful and effective” (Classical Voice Carolina), draws on a wide range of influences to create intense, intricate, and expressive works. His music has been commissioned and performed by various ensembles and solo artists including the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Illinois Philharmonic, Durham Symphony, Duo Axon, the Empyrean Saxophone Quartet, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Kuttner Quartet, and numerous high school and college wind ensembles across the United States. His research interests include aspects of form in post-tonal music, 20th and 21st century opera and musical theatre, and the cantatas of J.S. Bach. He is on the composition faculty at the University of Utah as well as the music theory faculty at Utah Valley University.