Aaron Robinson

Personal background Robinson attended Medomak Valley High School in Waldoboro, Maine. At 16 years of age—a self-taught musician who never took piano lessons By his late teens, he was creating, performing and producing concerts and theatrical productions, including the musical Moody Blue for which he wrote both the music and lyrics. According to a 2013 interview, Robinson studied composition and piano performance at the Boston Conservatory of Music with composers John Adams and Larry Thomas Bell, as well as film scoring with John Williams at the Berklee School of Music; but chose not to graduate with a degree. Instead, he "went out and lived the life of music," as he said in a 2017 interview. In 2001, he became organist and choirmaster for "Music at Immanuel" at the Immanuel Baptist Church in Portland, Maine.

Robinson lives on the coast of Maine. In 1997, Robinson conducted Treemonisha: The Concert Version by ragtime composer Scott Joplin at the Rockport Opera House in Rockport, Maine, with a new libretto by Judith Kurtz Bogdanove.

In 2001, he orchestrated, arranged, and conducted the musical Islands, which was produced on Broadway at the New Victory Theater by John Wulp, with music and lyrics by Cidny Bullens.

Robinson conducted the world premiere performance of his Black Nativity – In Concert: A Gospel Celebration in 2001 at the Immanuel Baptist Church. The concert version recreated the original performance of Langston Hughes's Gospel Song-Play Black Nativity that opened in 1961 at the 41st Street Theatre in New York City. In 2004, the documentary film Black Nativity – In Concert: A Gospel Celebration was made about the world premiere performance, production, and creation under the direction of Robinson with the original cast. In December 2013, Robinson collaborated with Dr. Anthony Antolini and the Bowdoin College Chorus and Down East Singers to mount a revised version of his 2004 creation.

Robinson composed An American Requiem, which had its New England Premiere under the direction of Dr. Robert Russell and the USM Chorale. He also wrote Driving Old Memories (The Rockland Maine Song) with his father Ervin Robinson. On June 2, 2021, the Mayor of Rockland, Maine presented a key to the city and proclaimed June 2021 "Driving Old Memories" month.

In 2012 he wrote the music for the independent documentary In the Shadows of Grey Gardens. In an article entitled "Robinson and Ragtime", David Welker called him "one of today’s leading proponents of early jazz and ragtime music". He is perhaps best known for his composition "The New England Ragtime Suite" for piano.

In 2014, the opening of Maine Public Broadcasting's "Maine Arts!" Series received an Emmy Award at the 36th annual New England Emmy Awards for which Robinson contributed the series’ theme music and was nominated for a separate Emmy Award. Robinson composed the Maine-based musical, The Legend of Jim Cullen – A Dramatic Musical, which received its world premiere at the Heartwood Regional Theater Company in the summer of 2014.

In May 2017, Robinson premiered two choral works in Studzinski Hall at Bowdoin College: "Requiem For a New World" and "This Will Be Our Reply To Violence" with words by Leonard Bernstein. With a famous line taken from an address Bernstein gave a few days after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, according to a 2017 interview, it was the first time the Bernstein Estate had ever granted a composer the rights to set the words to music. It was performed later that year by the Vox Nova Chamber Choir. Robinson received acclaim for his compositions from Maine's Senators Angus King and Susan Collins, who remarked: "With the scourge of violence unabated in our times, we all must increase our devotion to the highest ideals of humanity. Through your remarkable career as a composer, performer, and author, you are helping to elevate our nation as you bring distinction to our great state of Maine.”

In 2019, Robinson founded and became Artistic Director for the "Glenn Jenks Ragtime Revue" in Camden, Maine; a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that celebrates the life and career of ragtime composer Glenn Jenks. The Ragtime Revue presents annual concerts in Revue-style settings, offering music, humor and dance centered around ragtime and early jazz with musicians from around the world. The proceeds benefit the "Glenn Jenks Future in Music Prize"; a scholarship promoting music through performance, education and scholarships to aspiring musicians.

As a music historian, Robinson has written for several publications and appeared on radio and television, including Portland Monthly Magazine, The Syncopated Times, NPR and Maine Public Radio,

Published works Robinson, Aaron (2013). Does God Sing?: A Musical Journey, Tate Publishing. 182 pages. Langston, Hughes (1961) Aaron Robinson (2004). Black Nativity, Dramatic Publishing. 34 pages.

Filmography

Television Year Title Role Notes 2003 On This Island Music Director (self) PBS Documentary

Film Year Film title Role Notes 2004 Black Nativity: In Concert – A Gospel Celebration Conductor (self) Documentary 2009 Gamer Musician Music Department 2012 In The Shadows of Grey Gardens Composer Soundtrack 2014 The Truth About You Composer Soundtrack

Compositions Russian Festival Overture - Orchestra (1987) March for Band (1988) 12 Original Rags - Piano(1989) Moody Blue – The Musical (1990) The Tell-Tale Heart - Narrator and Piano (1990) The New England Ragtime Suite - Piano (1993) Peter and Wendy – A Fantasy Ballet (1994) Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – The Musical (1998) Islands - The Musical (2001) Black Nativity: In Concert – A Gospel Celebration - Chorus, Soloists, Piano and B-3 Hammond Organ (2004) Ballads of the Old West - Song Cycle, voice and piano (2007) text by Lois Wright In the Shadows of Grey Gardens - Film Score (2009) La Belle Epoque - (12 pieces) piano (2011) Maine Arts! - Emmy Nominated TV Theme (2014) Sonatina for Bassoon and Piano (2013) The Truth About You, Film Score (2014) I Paint What I See - Voice and Piano (2014) text by E.B. White This Will Be Our Reply To Violence – Chorus (2017) text by Leonard Bernstein Words & Music – A Musical Revue (2017) A Tender Bridge – Narrators, Soloists, Chorus, Jazz Ensemble and Orchestra (2018) Nothing Gold Can Stay - Song Set (2026)

Discography Year Album title Performers Record label 1998 Treemonisha – In Concert Aaron Robinson, Various Take-a-Bough Productions 2004 Black Nativity – In Concert: A Gospel Celebration Aaron Robinson, Paul Havenstein II, Various Music at Immanuel 2008 Symphonic Dances Aaron Robinson, organ Music at Immanuel 2011 La Belle Epoque Aaron Robinson, piano Music at Immanuel 2011 They All Played Ragtime (re-release) Aaron Robinson, piano Music at Immanuel 2014 Works For Harpsichord: JS Bach & GF Handel Aaron Robinson, harpsichord Music at Immanuel 2014 The Legend of Jim Cullen – A Dramatic Musical The Legend of Jim Cullen Cast Ensemble MAI 2015 Max Morath – Complete Ragtime Works for Piano Aaron Robinson, piano MAI

Awards and nominations Year Association Award category Result 2013 Emmy Award Musical Composition Opening Nominated