Robert Culbertson, a native of Rockford, Illinois, began playing the horn at the age of twelve. He later received degrees in music theory and composition, and horn performance from Northern Illinois University (1968, 1974) and the University of Texas (DMA-1990). His principal teachers were Wayne Barrington, former hornist with the Kansas City and Chicago Symphony Orchestras, and Dale Clevenger, principal horn of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Dr. Culbertson served as principal horn with the Symphony of Southeast Texas, 1974-2014, and has also served as principal horn with the Lake Charles (Louisiana) Symphony Orchestra and the Rapides Symphony Orchestra in Alexandria, Louisiana.  He has performed with the Texas Opera Theater and the Houston Symphony Orchestra, as well as other orchestras and musical ensembles in Southeast Texas and Southwestern Louisiana. 

He has served as Chair of the Music Department on two occasions (1993-1997, and 2009-2012), and has taught courses in Music Literature, Humanities, Music Appreciation, and Music Theory, as well as Applied Music (horn and other brass instruments).

Dr. Culbertson has authored two educational textbooks, “The Basics of Music” (Kendall/Hunt, 1991), and “Music: Our Cultural Heritage” (e-book, Great River Press, 2015), (co-authored with Jack Benson, fellow faculty member at Lamar University).