Office of the SJU President

Fr. Robert Koopmann, OSB, a 1968 graduate of Saint John’s University, became the 12th president of Saint John’s University on July 1, 2009.

Koopmann has been a professor of music at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University since 1975, and served as fine arts division head from 2006-09. For the past four years, he has served on the Saint John’s Board of Regents, and served nine years in a previous term on the board.

A native of Waterloo, Iowa, Koopmann professed as a monk of Saint John’s Abbey on Sept. 21, 1971 and was ordained a priest on June 6, 1981. He has advanced degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (master of music), the University of Iowa (doctor of musical arts) and a master of divinity degree from Saint John's School of Theology•Seminary. Koopmann did post-doctoral study with faculty of the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Juilliard School of Music in New York City. Koopmann is active as a concert pianist both in the U.S. and abroad, and has released a number of recordings since 1994. He is the director of music for Saint John’s Abbey.

He was chair of the CSB/SJU music department from 1977-83 and 1985-86. He has served as a faculty resident in the student residence halls at Saint John’s since 1981, most recently at Saint Benet Hall since 2002. Since 1998, he has served as a men’s spirituality group leader, and since 2000 has worked with the Saint John’s Benedictine Volunteer Corps. Koopmann also served as director of international studies programs to Salzburg, Austria and South Africa.