Paul Robinson

Paul Robinson

Paul Robinson has studied composition throughout his academic career in the UK and US. While at Mills College in Oakland California, the movement now known as Minimalism was just emerging onto a world stage and key figures were active as teachers and visiting artists including Terry Riley and John Adams. On his return to the UK in the late 70’s he became Music Officer for North West Arts, then Fellow in Music at Bradford University, Composer in Residence at Newcastle University and lecturer in music at Salford University. As director of HarmonieBand he has been commissioned to write numerous scores for classic silent films. He has also written a ballet score for Scottish Ballet, two cantatas for the Northern Sinfonia and their chorus, a chamber opera and numerous chamber works. He was a joint winner of the Hilliard Ensemble’s composition prize and his work for them has been performed internationally and recorded on the ECM New Series label. He was subsequently composer in residence at the Hilliard Summer School. His Chamber Concerto won the special prize in the International Competition Prize hosted by the Luxembourg Sinfonietta. The Hilliard Ensemble commissioned him to write a new score for Carl Dreyer’s silent film The Passion of Joan of Arc.This was premiered in the Wroclaw Opera House and broadcast on Polish TV. Other prizes include A Night in the Palace of Reason which won the Special Prize in the International Contemporary Music Contest 'Citta di Udine' The octet was premiered and recorded by Taukay Edition Musicali who now act as his publisher. Research interests are around American minimal music and also film music with a focus on the silent era. He has published articles in Tempo and Contact magazines on John Adams and Tom Johnson. In 2018 he was commissioned to write a work for piano quartet, harp (Ensemble 360) and chorus (The Hepton Singers) that was premiered in Square Chapel Halifax to celebrate the opening of their Arts Centre. Most recently in 2019 with HarmonieBand, he toured with a new score to Walter Ruttman’s Berlin: A Symphony of a City. He currently teaches at the Royal College of Music.