Originally from Fairfield, CT, Robert O’Brien joined the Omaha Symphony as Principal Percussion in 2018. Prior to the Omaha Symphony, Rob was a percussionist in the Houston Ballet Orchestra. Rob has performed with the New York Philharmonic, the St. Louis Symphony, the Houston Symphony, the Kansas City Symphony, the Fort Worth Symphony, the Oregon Symphony, the San Antonio Symphony, and the Hawai’i Symphony.

Rob has attended the National Repertory Orchestra and the Tanglewood Music Center. He holds degrees from Boston University, New England Conservatory, and Rice University, and his teachers include Tim Genis, Will Hudgins, Matthew Strauss, Sam Solomon, and Richard Flanagan. Rob is a proud endorser of Zildjian Cymbals. In his spare time he enjoys playing piano, golfing, fishing and cooking.