Robert Groff

Robert Groff is a native of West Hartford. His father, Dr. Frank Groff, was the Director of Music for the WH Public Schools, a professor at CCSU, and the conductor of the Travelers Choral Club. As a teen, Bob studied bass with then HSO AP Bassist Bertram Turetzky at The Hartt School, and his undergraduate and graduate teachers included Leland Tolo, Gary Karr, and Leslie Martin. Bob joined the HSO in the Fall of 1970, and became Assistant Principal bassist in 1977. He was also Principal Bassist for the Hartford Chamber Orchestra from 1972 until its merger with the HSO. Bob still enjoys performing, especially now that he is retired from his many years as a music teacher in West Hartford. His wife, HSO violinist Diane Frederickson, who taught music in the Hartford Public Schools, is also a long-time member of the HSO. When they are not performing, Bob and Diane enjoy the outdoors, especially at their off-the-grid camp in the woods of Northwestern Maine.