Clark College Music Department Welcomes Dr. Rafael Rodriguez

For Immediate Release
September 15, 2025

VANCOUVER, Wash. — The Clark College Music Department is pleased to welcome Dr. Rafael Antonio Rodriguez as the new Director of Orchestral Activities. Dr. Rodriguez will serve as the department's theory and ear training professor in addition to leading the college orchestra. He begins his tenure in the fall quarter which commences on September 22.

Dr. Rodriguez says, "I'm thrilled to be joining the faculty at Clark College and to working with the fabulous musicians in the Clark College Orchestra! Music is an integral part of the human experience, and I look forward to sharing my vision for the 21st-century orchestra with our audiences, our players, and with our shared community."

Dr. Rodriguez comes to Clark with over 20 years of teaching and conducting experience nationally and internationally including as a Conducting Fellow with the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica and as Assistant/Cover Conductor with the Boulder Philharmonic in Colorado. He previously served as Visiting Professor and Director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Memphis in Tennessee, and as Director of Orchestras & Jazz at Augsburg University in Minneapolis. He received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Orchestral Conducting and Literature from the University of Colorado in Boulder and is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

Learn more about Dr. Rodriguez

About Clark College

Founded in 1933, Clark College provides residents of Southwest Washington with affordable, high-quality academic and technical education. It is a public community college offering more than 100 degree and certificate programs, including bachelor's and associate degrees; professional certificates; high school diplomas and GED preparation; and non-credit community and continuing education. Clark serves a wide range of students including high school students, displaced workers, veterans, parents, non-native English speakers, and mature learners. Approximately 45% of its students are in the first generation of their families to attend college.

About Clark's Music Program

Clark College Music program offers a dynamic curriculum in theory, performance, appreciation, and history. Designed for both music majors preparing for advanced study, and non-majors seeking a deeper cultural connection, the program blends academic rigor with hands-on performance opportunities. Faculty bring professional experience to guide students in building skills and confidence for future careers in the arts. Students can explore pursuits in concert band, jazz ensemble, orchestra, and choir. Learn more about Clark's Music program.

For additional information:
Dr. Rafael Rodriguez
Phone: 360-992-2195

Shelly Williams
Phone: 360-992-2662