Robert Rabinowitz

Background

About Robert Rabinowitz

Robert is an award winning composer, utist, saxophonist, arranger, avid reader, maker of art assemblages, and servant to 3 demanding cats. He studied music composition with Phillip Glass, John Cage, and James DeMars and ute/saxophone with Jimmy Heath. He has been commissioned by instrumentalists, choreographers, film makers, and dance companies including Dennis Wright (Pilobolus, Alvin Ailey), Sally Radell (Emory University, Atlanta Ballet), Desert Dance Theatre, Marion Kirk Jones (Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey), Shields Collins Bray (pianist, Van Cliburn Foundation, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Opera), Robert Lyons (Pee Wee's Playhouse, Star Trek, Peter Gabriel). His works have aired on National Public Radio, Turner Networks, and Televisión Española in Spain. Selected for a residency at the prestigious dance and performing arts center, The Yard, resulted in the premiere of two new works in Boston and NYC, both of which received favorable reviews in The NY Times. He has performed as a flutist and saxophonist in such diverse settings as The Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Kennedy Center, The Troubadour and CBGBs. Robert was a featured performer in the Broadway Benet Concerts for Newtown, performing with Danny Zolli (Jesus Christ Superstar, Sweeney Todd), Jeri Sager (Cats, Les Miserable), Gary Mauer (Phantom of the Opera), Mark McVey (Tommy, Chess). His compositions and playing have won numerous awards and grants including a BMI Award for Excellence in Music Composition. He was also one of the recipients of the 2013 Governor’s Arts Awards from the State of CT. For many years Robert was the Secretary of the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission and one of the founders of the Newtown Arts Festival serving 5 years as its entertainment director. As one of the Directors of “Healing Newtown Through The Power of the Arts” he was liaison between Newtown and The National Endowment for The Arts and was instrumental in helping to bring numerous events to the town including: The NY Philharmonic, NY City Ballet, James Taylor, Broadway performances, author events (Neil Gaiman, Peter Brown, Bryan Collier, etc.) He arranged donations to the town and schools from companies such as Steinway, Yamaha, Gibson, Fender, Alfred Pub, Bose, Guitar Center, Sennheiser, JBL, NAMM, Shure, Harper Collins, Carl Fischer, and more. Robert is also Founder and Chief Scientist Emeritus at Nine Unknown Men Enterprises. Robert counts both Kilgore Trout and Hagbard Celine as distant relatives. His name is correctly pronounced SLAR-tee BARRTfast.