Robert Nunez is a United States musician who has performed as Principal Tuba of both the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra is an American orchestra based in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the only full-time, professional orchestra in the Gulf South. The music director is Carlos Miguel Prieto....

, and the New Orleans Opera

New Orleans Opera

Opera has long been part of the musical culture of New Orleans, Louisiana. Operas have regularly been performed in the city since the 1790s, and for the majority of the city's history since the early 19th century, New Orleans has had a resident company regularly performing opera in addition to...

 since 1992. He has taught as Adjunct Professor of Tuba at the University of New Orleans

University of New Orleans

The University of New Orleans, often referred to locally as UNO, is a medium-sized public urban university located on the New Orleans Lakefront within New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It is a member of the LSU System and the Urban 13 association. Currently UNO is without a proper chancellor...

 and Tulane University

Tulane University

Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...

. Mr. Nunez has served as Professor of Tuba at both Delgado University and Loyola University New Orleans

Loyola University New Orleans

Loyola University New Orleans is a private, co-educational and Jesuit university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Originally established as Loyola College in 1904, the institution was chartered as a university in 1912. It bears the name of the Jesuit patron, Saint Ignatius of Loyola...

, and was previously employed as Instructor of Brass on the faculty of the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps

Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps

The Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps, founded in 1956, is a World Class drum and bugle corps based in Rockford, Illinois, and is a member corps of Drum Corps International...

 from 1988–1996.

Mr. Nunez graduated from Chalmette High School

Chalmette High School

Chalmette High School is a high school in the Chalmette area unincorporated St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is a part of St. Bernard Parish Public Schools.Chalmette High School opened in 1954 at the current site of Chalmette Elementary School, previously known as Chalmette Middle...

 in Louisiana, and has completed academic coursework at Louisiana State University

Louisiana State University

Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...

 and the University of New Orleans. His teachers include the legendary pedagogue Arnold Jacobs

Arnold Jacobs

Arnold Jacobs was an American orchestral tuba player who was most known as the principal Tubist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1944 until his retirement in 1988....

, former Principal Tuba of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...

, and Neal Tidwell, former Principal Tuba of the former New Orleans Symphony and Richard Erb bass trombonist formerly of the New Orleans Symphony and currently in Louisiana Philharmonic orchestra.

Mr. Nunez is active as a soloist. He performed the Tuba Concerto

Tuba Concerto in F minor (Vaughan Williams)

The Tuba Concerto in F minor by the British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams dates from 1954. Vaughan Williams wrote the concerto for Philip Catelinet, principal tubist of the London Symphony Orchestra , and Catelinet was the soloist in the premiere on 13 June 1954, with Sir John Barbirolli...

 by Ralph Vaughan Williams

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...

 with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra in the 1999–2000 Season. Mr. Nunez has performed with numerous brass ensembles, including the Fanfare Brass Quintet performing as a school outreach ensemble for disadvantaged children, and the Louisiana Philharmonic Brass Quintet. He has also performed with many Dixieland

Dixieland

Dixieland music, sometimes referred to as Hot jazz, Early Jazz or New Orleans jazz, is a style of jazz music which developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century, and was spread to Chicago and New York City by New Orleans bands in the 1910s.Well-known jazz standard songs from the...

 bands in the greater New Orleans area, including the Louisiana Repertory Jazz Ensemble.

Robert Nunez is the great-grandson of Alciede "Yellow" Nunez

Alcide Nunez

Alcide Patrick Nunez was an early United States jazz clarinetist. Also known as Yellow Nunez and Al Nunez, he was born in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana of an Isleño family and moved to New Orleans in his childhood.He initially played guitar, then switched to clarinet about 1902...

, a pioneer Dixieland clarinetist who performed with the Original Dixieland Jass Band

Original Dixieland Jass Band

The Original Dixieland Jass Band were a New Orleans, Dixieland jazz band that made the first jazz recordings in early 1917. Their "Livery Stable Blues" became the first jazz single ever issued. The group composed and made the first recordings of many jazz standards, the most famous being Tiger Rag...

, Louisiana Five

Louisiana Five

The Louisiana Five was an early dixieland jazz band that was active from 1918-1920. It was among the earliest jazz groups to record extensively.-History:The Louisiana Five was led by Anton Lada, who played the drums....

, Moonlight Serenaders, and many different bands on the Vaudeville

Vaudeville

Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...

 circuit from 1912–1928.

After Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...

 struck New Orleans in 2005, Robert Nunez moved to Houston, Texas

Houston, Texas

Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...

and served as a clinician in the Houston area schools and taught private lessons in northwest Houston. He was a founding member of Metropolis Brass, a brass quintet based in Houston, Texas. In June 2007, Robert Nunez returned to his native city of New Orleans to resume his seventeenth year as principal tubist of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and resume performances with various Dixieland groups.