Robert Meffe, Head of the SDSU MFA Musical Theatre Program, spent twenty-two years in New York City as a professional conductor, music director, keyboardist, orchestrator, arranger and music copyist. His Broadway credits include: Associate Conductor of Little Women and the last six years of Les Misérables, keyboards for Evita (2012 revival), Newsies, The Phantom of the Opera, Avenue Q, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Grey Gardens, and Bombay Dreams.

National Tour credits include Music Director of Evita (2012 revival) and The Phantom of the Opera, Associate Conductor of Les Misérables, Little Women, and Sunday in the Park with George. Off-Broadway: Myths & Hymns, Violet, The Prince and the Pauper, Gutenberg! The Musical!, and music arrangements for Disenchanted. TV: Encore! (Disney+), Earth To America (TBS), Renee Fleming-Live at Lincoln Center (PBS). Las Vegas: Associate Conductor of Avenue Q, keyboards for Mamma Mia and Hairspray. Williamstown Theatre Festival: Ten Cents a Dance (directed by John Doyle). Paper Mill Playhouse: Peter Pan (Music Director), Forum, Thoroughly Modern Millie (Associate), A Wonderful Life, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers(keyboards). San Diego credits include a nomination for Best Musical Direction for Fun Home (San Diego Rep), keyboards for Wicked, Waitress, Beautiful and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (San Diego Civic Theatre), Bright Star, Looking for Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (The Old Globe), Kiss My Aztec, Fly (La Jolla Playhouse) and Far Away Places, a one-night cabaret show with Patti Lupone (Balboa Theatre).

Robert served as Music Prep Supervisor/Orchestrator for the benefit concert, You’ve Got a Friend at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles honoring legendary singer/songwriter Carole King. New orchestrations included “I Feel the Earth Move” for Alicia Keys and “It’s Too Late” for Amy Grant.

Mr. Meffe serves as the Head of the Faculty for the Musical Theatre Studio at the Trentino Music Festival in Mezzano, Italy. For this festival he has music directed Godspell, Evita, Into the Woods, and Rent.

A champion of new works, Mr. Meffe has music directed many workshops and reading of new musicals including Postcard American Town by Lynne Shankel and Crystal Skillman, 'Til Death Do Us Part, by Bobby Cronin and Caroline Prugh, Mister Doctor and Mr. Holland's Opus, both written by B.D. Wong and Wayne Barker, We Foxes and Darling, both written by Ryan Scott Oliver, Quanah by Larry Gatlin and Tony Dodge, College: The Musical by Drew Fornarola and Scott Elmegreen, A Lasting Impression by Zoe Sarnak, Factory Girls by Sean Mahoney and Creighton Irons and I Capture the Castle by Cara Reichel and Peter Foley.

SDSU New Musical InitiativeOver the course of two years, MFA students will rehearse and develop to full production a new work of musical theatre under the guidance of faculty director Stephen Brotebeck and faculty music director (and Head of MFA Program) Robert Meffe. Brotebeck and Meffe have years of Broadway experience developing new musical works for the stage including shows such as Peter and the Starcatcher, Ghost and Little Women. Past artists have included Derek Gregor, Phoebe Kreutz, T.C. Lind, Lynne Shankel, Crystal Skillman, Bobby Cronin, Caroline Prugh, Ryan Scott Oliver, BD Wong, Wayne Barker, Michael Federico and Home for Hovercraft band members Seth and Sean Magill. Our plan is to collaborate with a creative team in three stages from reading to workshop to full production. We are looking for completed scripts and scores from a team that is interested in developing their work in conjunction with our graduate students. The committee considers a host of factors in the selection process, including representation of writers and stories from a range of cultural, ethnic, racial, and other affinities, as well as the gender balance of the writers whose work is presented in a given theatrical season.