Following a year as interim director, Professor Richard Blatti was named director of The Ohio State University School of Music on July 1, 2011, and served in this capacity until August 2016. After having taught for 42 years – 37 at the collegiate level with the last 27 at Ohio State, he then served as chief executive and academic officer for an internationally recognized faculty and a school ranked 11th among public colleges and universities. Prior to this appointment, he was area head of Conducting and Ensembles, supervising all aspects of the conducting curricula and the administration of all university ensembles. Throughout his Ohio State tenure, Professor Blatti personally taught conducting at all levels, and the ensembles under his direction performed at national conferences, recorded for international recording labels, and toured extensively.

For his interpretation of their works, Blatti has earned the praise of many composers, including Gunther Schuller, Warren Benson, Michael Daugherty, Augusta Read Thomas, Jennifer Higdon, Eric Whitacre, Steven Bryant, David Gillingham, Carter Pann, Frank Ticheli, John Mackey, Daniel Bukvich and Roger Cichy. Professor Blatti has twice received The Ohio State University School of Music Distinguished Teaching Award, and in 2007 he was presented with the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching by the president of the university. He has served on the Executive Board of the Ohio State Academy of Teaching, on the Board of Trustees for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, and as president of the Ohio Association of Music Schools.

As guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator, Blatti has been invited to forty states, five Canadian provinces, and six other countries, including the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, France, Belgium, Australia and China. Prior to his appointment at Ohio State, Professor Blatti was director of Instrumental Music at Albion College in Michigan for ten years, where he was twice selected the Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year, and was awarded two grants in support of his research on rehearsal techniques and conducting pedagogy. Blatti also served as Director of Bands and Music Department Chair at York Community High School in Elmhurst, Illinois.

A student of legendary conductor John Paynter, Blatti earned both the Bachelor of Music Education and the Master of Music degrees from Northwestern University and has done post-graduate work in conducting at Michigan State University. He serves as a director of the John P. Paynter Foundation, as Conductor Laureate of the Heisey Wind Ensemble, and is a member of the American Bandmasters Association, CBDNA, MENC, OMEA, Pi Kappa Lambda, Phi Beta Mu, Omicron Delta Kappa, Tau Beta Sigma and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He is in constant demand as a guest conductor, clinician, author and lecturer.