Born in Neptune Township, New Jersey, Robert Lee Watt was hired by Zubin Mehta and the Los Angeles Philharmonic to play assistant principal horn in 1970 and remained there for 37 years before retiring in 2008. He was the first African-American French hornist hired by a major symphony orchestra in the United States. After high school Watt was accepted to the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston where he studied French horn with Harry Shapiro of the Boston Symphony.
While a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Mr. Watt performed with many of the most esteemed and renowned conductors of our time including Leonard Bernstein, Eugene Ormandy, Pierre Boulez, James De Priest, and Michael Tilson Thomas. In the late 80’s Mr. Watt helped organize an African-American brass quintet, “The New Brass Ensemble” which performed throughout the United States and abroad. Recently he executive produced a short film in memory of his friend Miles Davis. The film is based on the musical composition “Missing Miles” by Todd Cochran, which was commissioned by Mr. Watt, for French horn and piano. The short film was chosen by the Pan African Film Festival and the Garden State Film Festival. Mr. Watt is a licensed airplane pilot, a saber fencer and speaks German and Italian.
More information can be found on Watt's website.