Robert Nordling was appointed in 2002 to the music faculty at Calvin College where he conducts the Calvin Orchestra. He became conductor of the Alumni Orchestra in fall 2005. Prior to his appointment at Calvin he was the founder and music director of the San Francisco area Bay Chamber Symphony Orchestra. Additional conducting credentials include appearances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute Orchestra, the Cedardell Opera Festival Orchestra, the Wheaton Symphony Orchestra and chamber orchestras in Chicago and San Francisco.

A native of New Jersey, Nordling studied at the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music with Rex Hicks, Howard Whitaker and Stephen Cushman. After completing his studies at Wheaton he went to San Francisco to continue his orchestral training with David Ramadanoff and James Wimer. He was awarded conducting fellowships to the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute where he worked with Leonard Bernstein, Michael Tilson Thomas and Herbert Blomstedt.

In addition to his role as conductor of the Calvin Orchestra, Robert Nordling also serves as Co-Director of Spiritual Leadership Development at Calvin--a position he shares with his wife Cherith, a theologian trained at St. Andrews in Scotland.