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Dr. Julia W. Rohr has been directing choirs and teaching
music for seven decades, six of those decades in Sarasota, Florida. Most
women her age have long retired, but not this energetic, feisty lady!
She still works full-time giving private piano, voice, and violin
lessons five days a week at Julie Rohr Academy. |
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Her musical career began at age six when she started elementary
school in Fall River, Massachusetts. She immediately set herself apart
from her peers with her musical talent. That talent sent her to
Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia where she graduated with
a degree in vocal and instrumental music. She married her college
sweetheart, Arthur Rohr, who was a band director and later would conduct
the Sarasota Concert Band for many years. They moved to Kannapolis,
North Carolina where she began teaching high school chorus and
orchestra. They moved to Sarasota in 1953 with their daughter and
Arthur’s parents. Dr. Rohr immediately began teaching in the Sarasota
County public schools where she taught elementary through high school in
chorus, orchestra, and general music for over 40 years. She has taught
in every public school in Sarasota north of Nokomis; elementary, junior
high, and high school, at one time or another. Prior to directing the
choir at Bee Ridge Presbyterian (where she just retired after more than
40 years), Dr. Rohr was the choir director for
Sarasota’s First Presbyterian Church. She also played viola in the
Florida West Coast Symphony, opened her own music school - Julie Rohr
Music Studios, opened Julie Rohr Academy (a
private school for students two years through eighth grade), directed
The Sarasota Choral Society from 1956 to 1994 (where she is still the
Director Emerita), and founded and directed the Sarasota Girl’s Choir
for 6 years and the Sarasota Boy’s Choir for 22 years, which traveled
extensively throughout the Continental U.S., Alaska and Canada.
Dr. Rohr’s contributions to the community have been recognized
through various honors. She won the Governor’s Award for the Arts in
1976, Woman of the Year Award from VFW Post 3233 Ladies Auxiliary, and
Patriot of the Year for the 1976 Bicentennial Celebration. In the spring
of 1991, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Liberal Arts degree from
her Alma Mater, Shenandoah University. At the 60th Anniversary Gala
Performance of the Christmas portion of Handel's Messiah given by
the Sarasota Choral Society on November 28, 2004 at the Church of the
Palms Presbyterian Church, Dr. Rohr received proclamations from the City
of Sarasota, Sarasota County, and the Sarasota County School Board
honoring her for her years of dedication to the citizens of Sarasota.
November 28, 2004 was declared "Dr. Julia W. Rohr Day". She has traveled internationally,
met presidents and governors, been honored by the academic community and
given much of herself to the Sarasota community through her service
work. There is hardly a person in Sarasota interested in music of any
sort that hasn’t been touched by Dr. Rohr’s musical works.
In the midst of all this, Dr. Rohr has reared a successful family
that is continuing in her tradition of music education and community
service. Her daughter, Julie Rohr McHugh, is also an accomplished
performer, director, and educator. Following a successful career in
professional show business, daughter Julie is now owner and head of
Julie Rohr Academy in Sarasota. The Academy specializes in early
childhood, elementary, and middle school education with a strong
emphasis on visual and performing arts.
Dr. Rohr is quick to point out that recognition has not been her
motivating factor. Music and helping children is her life, and her pride
and joy remains in teaching music. A loving, caring individual that sees
the musical potential in everyone, draws forth those abilities, and
transforms them into song is what Dr. Julia W. Rohr is all about. Thank
you, Dr. Rohr for sharing yourself with all of us. |
