Maestro Robert Nance is a conductor, keyboardist, composer, educator and arts advocate based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. A graduate of DePauw University School of Music and the Peabody Conservatory, he is the founder and artistic director emeritus of Heartland Sings. His distinguished career has earned numerous honors, including Arts United’s Artist of the Year and the Sagamore of the Wabash, one of Indiana’s highest honors.

Maestro Robert Nance is a conductor, keyboardist, composer, educator and arts advocate whose career has been dedicated to musical excellence and strengthening communities through the arts.

A distinguished graduate of DePauw University School of Music and the Peabody Conservatory, Nance is the founder and artistic director emeritus of Heartland Sings, the professional vocal arts organization he founded in 1997. He also serves as director of music at Plymouth Congregational Church in Fort Wayne, as a collaborative musician for Temple Achduth Vesholom and as a regular pianist at The Bradley Hotel in downtown Fort Wayne.

Nance has called Fort Wayne home since 1990, distinguishing himself as a performer, teacher, community leader and passionate advocate for sustainable careers in the arts. His honors include Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne’s 2017 Artist of the Year, the 2024 Sagamore of the Wabash, bestowed by the governor of Indiana in recognition of his meritorious service and contributions to the arts, and the 2026 Mu Phi Epsilon Presidential Award of Excellence, recognizing his exceptional contributions to music, musicianship and service.

Maestro Robert Nance is a conductor, keyboardist, composer, educator and arts advocate who has devoted his career to artistic excellence, music education and strengthening the role of professional artists within their communities.

A distinguished graduate of DePauw University School of Music in Indiana and the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Nance is the founder and artistic director emeritus of Heartland Sings, a professional vocal arts organization he founded in 1997. He also serves as director of music at Plymouth Congregational Church of Fort Wayne, as a collaborative musician for Temple Achduth Vesholom and as a regular pianist at The Bradley Hotel in downtown Fort Wayne.

Throughout his career, Nance has earned numerous honors and professional distinctions. He has served as a guest conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, received an Indiana Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowship, served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts and appeared on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center. His recorded work includes the Attitude Series of keyboard recordings and The Spirit of Christmas featuring Heartland Sings.

Since making Fort Wayne his home in 1990, Nance has distinguished himself not only as a performer and teacher but also as a community leader and arts advocate. His work has focused particularly on creating sustainable employment opportunities for professional musicians and advocating for career musicians throughout Indiana. His artistic contributions have included premiere performances, championing the work of Indiana composers and composing numerous works for Heartland Sings.

In recognition of his contributions to music and the arts, Nance was named Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne’s Artist of the Year in 2017 and received the Sagamore of the Wabash in 2024, bestowed by the governor of Indiana for meritorious service and for bringing honor to the state through his work in the arts. In 2026, Nance received the Mu Phi Epsilon Presidential Award of Excellence, honoring his exceptional contributions to music, musicianship and dedicated service.