Toledo Symphony’s President Emeritus Robert Bell has Passed Away

Bell was a significant part of the Toledo Symphony for almost seven decades

Born in 1939, Robert “Bob” Bell first worked with Ohio’s Toledo Symphony in 1956 as a high school senior, when he was invited by then-conductor Joseph Hawthorne to perform timpani with the orchestra. 

Bell later served as the Toledo Symphony’s Principal Timpanist, Librarian, Personnel Manager, and later as Managing Director, President & CEO, and finally President Emeritus. 

Throughout his tenure, he helped transform the Symphony into one of the nation’s top regional orchestras, with an ever-growing budget and artistic stature. He also expanded access through neighborhood concerts, school partnerships, and inclusive programming long before such efforts became widespread.

In 1994, Bell received the Governor’s Award for the Arts in recognition of his achievements. In 2006, he celebrated his 50th year with the Toledo Symphony. 

In recent years, the ensemble has honored Bell’s legacy through the Robert Bell Endowment and the naming of the Robert Bell Studio at the new Toledo Center for Live Arts. 

In addition to his contributions to the arts, Bell was a longtime supporter of the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department, where he played a key role in a major departmental study in the 1980s. 

“Bob was the heart and soul of the Toledo Symphony for most of its existence and for most of his life,” said TAPA Board Chair Marna Ramnath in a tribute. “It is safe to say that his dedication to the music, the musicians, and the community never wavered. The gift of his life plays on in the orchestra that he loved.”

“Bob Bell represented everything an orchestra manager should be,” expressed Thomas Morris, former CEO of the Cleveland Orchestra and Boston Symphony. “He brought a deep commitment to his community, long successful service to an organization he believed in, selfless performance of his responsibilities, and most of all, a deep and abiding love of music. The Toledo Symphony would simply not be what it is without Bob. I was lucky for his long-time friendship.”

“I met Bob when I was ten years old,” remembers Keith McWatters, former Orchestra Manager of the Toledo Symphony. “My dad wanted me to take lessons from the best drum teacher in the area, and that was Bob. From the very beginning, he believed in me, first as a student and later as a colleague. He used to say, ‘You have no idea what you already know,’ and that stuck with me. His constant support shaped who I became. Because he was always there for me, I learned to be there for others. He was an incredible example.”

Our condolences to Mr. Bell’s family, friends, students, and colleagues.