Don Robertson — President, Rising World Foundation
Composer, Educator & Music Innovator
Don Robertson is an accomplished American composer, author, and educator whose lifelong passion for music has shaped an extraordinary creative and intellectual journey. Born in Denver, Colorado in 1942, he immersed himself in music from early childhood and went on to pursue deep musical studies spanning Western and non-Western traditions.
Foundations in Music Study & Exploration
While serving in the U.S. Navy in 1960, Don taught himself jazz guitar and studied harmony and orchestration. In 1963 he composed the four-movement symphonic work *Moments avant de partir*, performed in rehearsal by the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra. After his service, he continued his education at the University of Colorado, UCLA, and the Juilliard School of Music.
Cross-Cultural Insight & Creative Breakthroughs
Through advanced study with leading mentors in counterpoint and world music, Don identified the dual qualities of positive and negative music—an insight that informed his lifelong exploration of the emotional and spiritual dimensions of sound.
Pioneering Music Theory & Recording Milestones
In 1968, Don authored the first American instruction manual for the Indian tabla, published internationally for over thirty years. In 1969, he recorded *Dawn* on Mercury Records’ Limelight label, one of the earliest albums recognized as new-age music.
Ongoing Creative Work & Musical Education
Don has composed orchestral works, digital symphonies, and instrumental albums while developing Musical Kaleidoscope, an educational project sharing global musical traditions.
Leadership at Rising World Foundation
As President of the Rising World Foundation, Don brings artistic depth, educational insight, and visionary leadership to advance the foundation’s mission of fostering creative awareness, cultural understanding, and positive transformation.