By: Avery Branscum 

FAYETTEVILLE Ark. (UATV) – A memorial concert for the beloved music professor Robert K. Mueller was hosted by the University of Arkansas Department of Music Monday night at the Faulkner Performing Arts Center.

Mueller worked at the university for 37 years as a professor and conducted the University Symphony Orchestra. In addition to his work at the university, he performed as a pianist for the Fort Smith Symphony for more than 20 years and was the music director at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fayetteville.

Mueller had the opportunity to work with his wife, Theresa Delaplain, in the music department. Over the years, Mueller produced almost 900 musical works, some of which he wrote for Delaplain.

“I liked almost everything he wrote because everything was something that would grab you and pull at your heartstrings,” Delaplain said. “I don’t know how he did it, it was amazing.”

Not only did Mueller have an impact on his wife, but he also made a strong impact on the lives of many. Nearly 100 people performed in the memorial concert, and dozens more attended the almost four-hour-long production.

At the concert, family and staff who were close to Mueller spoke about how he impacted not only them but everyone he came in contact with.

“He was a respectable man,” student Michael Keen said. “As a lot of them say, he was witty, and that shows in the orchestra rehearsals we would have. I enjoyed playing for him, and very sad to see him go.”

In the Faulkner Arts Center, there is a display up called “Retrospective” that was created by his family and designed by his daughter Erica Downs. The display shows 12 posters highlighting the life and work of Mueller. In the display, there is also a stereo, CDs, and a computer monitor that displays messages from those whom he impacted.

One of the posters discusses one of Mueller’s favorite pastimes, playing weatherman.

“He spent pretty much all of his spare time looking at weather data on different weather data sites,” Delaplain said.

She said that most of the time, his predictions were correct. The role of Mueller predicting the weather shows how he had a passion for education and learning.

Delaplain said he loved to learn and was a great explainer, which she said she believes is a reason he was loved by many, especially in his professional life.

“I remember one time when he was explaining to our children about the rotation of the sun and the moon and the earth and how it all fit together,” Delaplain said. “He just grabbed these different objects in our home, and he had them spinning around each other. It was a really good and cool demonstration.”