Robin Spielberg
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Robin Spielberg

New Freedom, Pennsylvania, United States | Established. Jan 01, 1993 | INDIE | AFM

New Freedom, Pennsylvania, United States | INDIE | AFM
Established on Jan, 1993
Band Pop Instrumental

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"Select Reviews - Robin Spielberg"

ROBIN SPIELBERG

CONCERT
REVIEWS
“From the moment she walks out on stage, until the last note gently caresses the room,
Spielberg casts a spell on her audience that is palpable, visceral and spiritual. While her
recordings are truly excellent, it’s her live performance,
and in
-
between
-
the
-
songs
storytelling that sets her apart from the other artists and pianists.”

Bruce Bressack for
The Hippo of Robin Spielberg’s performance at Tupelo Hall in Londonderry, NH)
“{Robin Spielberg} has a gentle way of telling stories throug
h music. She hits the nail on
the head every time she titles a song, and then, precedes each piece with the story of each
song.. I was fortunate to be able to attend her concert and what an experience....it
reminded me of a play because of the dramatic sta
ge lighting, and because she kept us
enthralled with her storytelling. Such a gift, Robin is. I most definitely urge you to attend
her concert if she is in your area. You won’t regret it. What a show”
.
-
Cindy James,
KRSC Radio host of “Sunday Interludes”
(of Robin Spielberg’s performance at the Tulsa
Performing Arts Center)
“Her music itself was filled with a gentleness of spirit...Spielberg has an undeniable
melodic gift”
Ken Smith, NY
Concert Review (Carnegie Hall, NYC)
“I was thrilled to find that Spie
lberg is one superlative concert artist! She far exceeded
any expectations and the evening was both touching and mesmerizing. Watching Robin
play, it is obvious that the music is flowing from her heart and is a very big part of who
she is. She is able to c
oax almost fragile gentleness from the piano by softly caressing the
keys, but she is also fully in command with the more rousing, ‘That’s How the Story
Goes’. Robin has such a personal and expressive way of playing, and her story
-
telling
about the origins
of the music makes the pieces come alive...Even if you are not familiar
with her music, I highly recommend seeing her in concert. You will feel you know her by
the end of the performance, and will be inspired and uplifted by her performance”.
-
Kathy Parso
ns for Wind & Wire Mag (Walnut Creek, California)
“Caught Robin Spielberg down in Newport at Belcourt Castle in t
he mansion’s French Gothic Ballroom, in what was a most evocative gig. If Spielberg’s
rapturous Guaraldi
-
based piano didn’t grab you

and it sur
e did

the gig’s setting
certainly enhanced the overall experience.
The candle
-
lit ballroom had a massive
cathedral
-
like vaulted ceiling, glowing medieval stained glass, and one wall lined with
eerie suits of armor.
Spielberg’s playing and humorous storyt
elling stood up well to this
elegant setting, with fluid hooks and flourishes. My new age worries were allayed when
she demonstrated her playing had semi
-
classical teeth ,and exhilarating dexterity. Check
out her new disc, A New Kind of Love ."
-
Bob Gulla,
Providence Phoenix
(RI) - various


"Naked on the Bench: My Adventures in Pianoland"

A debut memoir of one woman’s quest to become a successful concert pianist, and the setbacks and triumphs she meets along the way.

As an energetic toddler brimming with creativity, Spielberg was left to play in a closed room for hours into the night. However, what her parents mistook for hyperactivity was, in fact, the budding of a musical prodigy. In this memoir, the author chronicles a series of events from her first touch of a piano key to her later multi-album success. She highlights the highs and lows of an artist journeying toward a career in music and doesn’t leave out personal mistakes or humiliating moments. In one chapter, she misjudges a friend’s verbal support and subsequently blasts an email with his endorsement to her fans. In another, she meets a man whom she confused for a fellow artist, who later became a stalker and scorned antagonist. These darker moments balance the book’s predominantly positive mood and give the story complexity, depth and a bit of relatable, raw reality. Spielberg’s commitment to straightforward storytelling allows her to avoid the sentimentality sometimes found in other memoirs. She allows events to speak for themselves, and the book reads like a series of episodes—a well-paced, readable collection of anecdotes that delicately leaves gaps of time between its chapters. Although an artist must appear flawless when onstage, the lifetime preceding that moment is anything but unblemished, and Spielberg reveals the perseverance, humility and self-awareness it takes to become a successful artist without becoming self-centered. Indeed, the author discovers that success in art means making an impact on an audience.

A well-paced musical memoir about the value of perseverance. - Kirkus Reviews


"Musikfest 2013: For Whom the Bells Toll, Tranquil Music Leads Into Monday Night"

Musikfest 2013 continues on Aug. 5, 2013
Composer and pianist Robin Spielberg performs at Central Moravian Church Monday afternoon during Musikfest. (Express-Times Photo | MATT SMITH )
Print
Tiffany Bentley | The Express-Times By Tiffany Bentley | The Express-Times
on August 05, 2013 at 6:27 PM, updated August 05, 2013 at 6:31 PM
0


Reddit


While Cast in Bronze rang the bells at Handwerkplatz, Robin Spielberg silenced them at the Vesper Concert series at Central Moravian Church Monday evening at Musikfest.

The pianist, who has sold records worldwide and almost filled the worship space to capacity, began with her song "After the Rain," giving the audience verbal permission to daydream, before she began.

While she said as a young girl she thought wandering off mentally while watching a show was frowned upon, she welcomes it now. After stories of naming her second performed piece, "Maneki Neko" after her cat, she led into a more risque discussion of her memoir, "Naked on the Bench."

She told stories of once performing at a nudist event and made jokes about not wanting a standing ovation. But she also assured the audience she wouldn't read the detailed accounts included in her book because they were in fact in a church.

While she also made those who showed up to hear her soothing compositions laugh, she did hold them in a trance with a presentation that allowed them to stay calm in a sheltered space. While the songs were kept at bay behind structured walls, native flute sounds floated uphill outside next to the Hotel Bethlehem set on a roped off street preparing for the evening storm. - The Express-Times


"Book Review: "Naked on the Bench: My Adventures in Pianoland" by Robin Spielberg - memoir"

Naked on The Bench: My Adventures in Pianoland is an engaging memoir written by Robin Spielberg, a renowned composer, pianist, and recording artist. As a child, Robin has a recurring dream and this will have a lasting impact on the little girl. Hyperactive and obviously talented, she believes everyone goes through life with music playing in their minds like she does. She also chronicles her life as a budding artist and regales her readers with her triumphs and failures. In New York, she divides her time between playing the piano in upscale places and acting in theater, eventually ending up as one of the founders of a theater company. As she tells of her professional struggles as an artist, we also get a glimpse of the trials and triumphs in her personal life and this makes her story quite endearing.

There is no doubt that Robin Spielberg leads a charmed life but reading her memoir makes me realize that the lady is exceedingly charming herself. She tells her story with sprinklings of wit and humor, and dashes of sadness and sorrow. With careful attention to detail, she takes us with her as she traverses her path to follow her dreams. Her book is full of funny narratives about a young woman who is not only passionate about her art but also about life in general. Indeed, this memoir is a must-read for all who are trying to find their place in the world. In the end, one cannot help but admire Spielberg’s drive and determination, not only to reach the pinnacle of success but most especially to find the real measure of her triumphs. - Readers Favorite (5-star review/Readers Favorite 2014 nominee)


"Middetown's Buttonwood Tree Welcomes pianist/author Robin Spielberg"

“America’s Sweetheart of Solo Piano” Robin Spielberg, will perform at The Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts & Cultural Center on Sunday, November 10, 2013 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Spielberg’s concert will feature music from her best-selling CDs and feature humorous readings from her brand new hilarious memoir that chronicles the her adventures on and off the piano bench, “Naked on the Bench: My Adventures in Pianoland.”

Advance tickets can be purchased exclusively at www.buttonwood.org for $10. They will be sold at the door for $13.

Mesmerizing audiences with inspired tales, extraordinary piano technique and heartfelt performances, Robin Spielberg is comfortably perched in the top echelon of the contemporary composer/pianist roster, which includes the Steinway Artist Roster.

Perhaps what is most intriguing about Robin, in addition to her musical talent and dynamic performances, is the way she wraps personal stories around her music to give them a particularly memorable flavor.

After one NH concert, a critic observed: “ While her recordings are truly excellent, it’s her live performance, and between-the-songs storytelling, that sets her apart from other artists and pianists. From the moment she walks on stage, until the last note gently caresses the room, Spielberg casts a spell on her audience that is palpable, visceral, and spiritual. Better said - After you see her perform, you’ll just feel a whole lot better about the world. Spielberg is a talented pianist, and an extraordinary storyteller” (Bruce Bressack,HippoPress)Robin Spielberg has performed in concert halls throughout the United States more than any other living female composer/pianist. Performance highlights include her three concerts at Carnegie Hall, a guest spot on the PBS Special, “The Soul of Christmas”, a concert for factory workers at the legendary Steinway Piano Factory, and a month-long tour through rural Montana and Idaho with Steinway in tow. She has performed three concert tours through South Korea and was just invited back for a third visit this coming March. Her music was featured this year on “The Great American Ballroom Challenge.”

Spielberg is the National Artist Spokesperson for the American Music Therapy Association and often gives lectures and workshops on music therapy in schools, nursing homes and community centers while on tour.

Her memoir, Naked on the Bench: My Adventures in Pianoland was published this fall and is available in print, e-book and audiobook formats. Robin will sign books for holiday gift giving after both concerts at Buttonwood Tree. - The Middletown Press


"Robin Spielberg: Another Time, Another Place"

Another Time, Another Place

Pianist Robin Spielberg's first album of all original material (with one exception) in seven years, Another Time, Another Place, will remind her fans why they fell in love with her music in the first place. Spielberg has always excelled at blending a neo-classical influence (shaded with romanticism) with both semi-pop and traditional new age styles, and on this new release, she shows that even after taking an absence from recording her own compositions, Spielberg not only hasn't lost a step, but may have reached a new height in versatility and virtuosity. The album's eleven numbers are suffused with sincere sentimentality (nary a trace of faux, maudlin sappiness), whether the artist is slowly unwinding a patient, reflective tune or going all out and pouring every ounce of passion she has into the ivories.

One thing that struck me almost right away on the first track, the somber, sedate First Dance, is how the music grabs you so quickly into its embrace. There is no preamble or build-up. The emotion of the piece, which to me comes across as sadness laced with delicate beauty, is right there. A dramatic about face occurs on the second song, Ship to Shore, which is a joyful, jaunty piece with echoes of an Irish jig blended in with that unique characteristic of nautical-inspired pieces (a musical influence that seems to be distinctly New Englandish in nature). I love how energetic the song is, but it's Spielberg's adroit and spirited playing that makes it come alive. In fact, throughout Another Time, Another Place, I kept noticing that the artist seems to have found a proverbial "sixth" gear for her playing. I don't think she has ever sounded better or more in control of every facet of her performing, both technique and artistry. I love the sense of shadow and foreboding at the outset of the title track, with a hint of gothic stateliness interlaced with the various melodic components. Spielberg really gets "into the guts" of this piece as it progresses, pouring all her strength and power and passion into it, before scaling back down to the song's original theme. The following number, Cherry Blossom, floats away on a gentle breeze with a discernible Japanese musical flavor (wonderful, that!). It's just flat out a lovely song.

As stated earlier, Robin Spielberg has been known throughout her career for integrating a classical influence with a new age romanticism leavened with occasional pop lyricism, and Another Time, Another Place displays all those elements. The View From Here wears its dramatic heart on its sleeve, sounding like it could be the closing number in a Broadway musical, filled with both tenderness and passion. On the opening passage of In My Dreams, Spielberg lets the piano's sustain pedal add an element of wistfulness to the music and the melody weaves a blended web of classical interlaced with that new age romanticism I mentioned above. The Time Traveler shows that Spielberg can stretch things out-the song clocks in at almost eight minutes long. I might be tempted to call the music quasi-ambient and it also could be considered somewhat minimalist at times. Overall, the mood is slightly dark yet also quite pretty in a sad kind of way. I am intrigued by the song's title and that is usually an indication of how strongly connected a listener can get to the music when one ponders something like that. Candlelight Waltz, as one would expect, is a straightforward classically-influenced number, light on its feet with that familiar 1-2-3 waltz rhythm at its core. Spielberg closes the album with the one non-original, O Mio Babbino Caro (Oh My Beloved Father) which is an aria from a Puccini opera, and it’s a great conclusion to the recording with a definitive sense of ending.

While I am sure her legions of fans were wondering "When will Robin give us a new original recording?" for all these intervening years, I imagine once they hear Another Time, Another Place they will have the same reaction I did when I played it the first time. Some things are worth waiting for and this album is surely one of them. It just may be this artist's finest effort and surely one that showcases her many musical talents as both composer and performer.
Rating: Excellent Excellent *****/*****


- reviewed by Bill Binkelman on 6/9/2015 - Zoe Music Reporter


"Pianist Robin Spielberg Performs at SOPAC,"

While many performers let their art do the talking, Steinway artist and composer Robin Spielberg doesn't mind sharing, even baring, her soul to her audiences. And while her story -- and new memoir Naked on the Bench: My Adventures in Pianoland -- is very much about her life and livelihood at the piano, it is also indelibly intertwined with health and the healing power of music. Spielberg will be performing an evening of solo piano at the South Orange Performing Arts Center on Saturday, April 11th at 8PM. Tickets are $25-$35 and can be purchased at www.SOPACnow.org or by calling the box office at (973) 313-2787.
Her SOPAC concert is part of a 20-city tour in which she shares her talents at the piano and insightful humor from the piano bench in support of her 17th CD and newest recording, Another Time, Another Place, being released nation-wide in April. Robin, a native of Maplewood, has sold over a million recordings and digital downloads since her debut album of original piano solos, Heal of the Hand. She has over 54 million listeners on Pandora, the internet's largest radio station. Robin has toured throughout the United States and South Korea where she is a bonafide "piano star." Her music has been featured in film, television and appears on over forty CD compilations throughout the world.

Originally harboring dreams of Broadway, Spielberg graduated with high honors and a BFA from New York University. For ten years, she pounded the pavement as an actor, becoming a founding member of the Tony-award winning Atlantic Theater Company, acting in dozens of plays off-Broadway and at Lincoln Center. She landed a record deal for her piano solos in the mid-nineties and her career as a concert artist soared. She never looked back. In 1996 Steinway named her to the prestigious roster of STEINWAY ARTISTS.

Since then, she has traveled the world over as a pianist and composer, building an enviable concert career. "Robin has such a personal and expressive way of playing, and her story-telling about the origins of the music makes the pieces come alive," writes Wind & Wire Magazine.

Her memoir recently won the GOLD MEDAL in the non-fiction/entertainment category in the 2014 Reader's Choice International Book Contest and has been featured on numerous NPR stations and in book clubs nationwide. The book demystifies life on the concert trail with perspectives realistic and comedic. It also touches on the healing power of music via a very personal shared narrative.

Spielberg began researching the field of music therapy when her daughter, now 16, was born 16 weeks early and was not expected to walk, talk, see, hear or speak. "I asked permission from the [NICU] nurses if we could play some music by my daughter's incubator...and over a period of time that the music was playing, they noticed that my daughter's vitals improved," she shares. Robin's TEDx Talk on music and healing can be found on her web site.

As time went on, her daughter thrived and so did Spielberg's career and interest in the transformative power of music. Currently, Spielberg is known worldwide for her sensitive compositions and "comforting piano artistry." Although Carnegie Hall has welcomed her three times, she chooses to play wherever she can make "connections."

"At this point in my career, I have discovered that some of my greatest successes have come 'under the radar,' in places that I would least expect them. I think it is all about making connections," says Robin. She performs on college campuses and in hospitals, nursing homes, retirement centers, jails, juvenile delinquent centers and for young people with special needs. "I'll play wherever they will have me," she says. "There are a lot of ways to connect, and I'm interested in all of them."

Spielberg's South Orange Performing Arts Center performance on April 11th is for anyone who wishes to be entertained or inspired, comforted or consoled, moved or transported by the talent of world renown pianist Robin Spielberg, an artist adept at healing with her hands. For tickets visit www.sopacnow.org or call 973-313-2787.

About SOPAC - Since 2006, SOPAC has been serving as a premier performing arts center in the region. SOPAC offers innovative artistic and cultural experiences for diverse audiences in an intimate, inviting environment. The premier arts center hosts a variety of live performances, community events and education programs for all ages. To further expand its offerings, SOPAC has a partnership with the Juilliard School of Music to present Juilliard @ SOPAC-a series featuring upcoming musicians from the acclaimed conservatory. SOPAC is home for Seton Hall University Arts Council's performances, including Classical Concert Series, Jazz N' the Hall performances and Seton Hall Theatre productions. SOPAC also presents performances by its theater company in residence, Midtown Direct Rep, and its dance company in residence, Lydia Johnson Dance. For more information, visit SOPACnow.org. - BroadwayWorld


Discography

2010 Sea to Shining Sea: A Tapestry of American Music (Americana)

2008: A New Kind of Love (original piano solos)

2005 Memories of Utopia (original piano solos)

2004: American Chanukah: Songs Celebrating Chanukah & Peace

2004: The Christmas Collection (solo piano Christmas)

2003: Spa Piano (compilation)

2002: With a Song in my Heart (standards)

2000: Dreaming of Summer (original piano solos)

2000:  Beautiful Dreamer: Lullabies for the Parent & Child

1999: Mother (with Cathie Ryan & Susan McKeown)

1997: In the Arms of the Wind (ensemble/originals)

1996: Songs of the Spirit (original piano solos)

1995: In the Heart of Winter (ensemble/holiday)

1995: Unchained Melodies (solo piano-standards)

1994: LunaMoon: Spirit of the Holidays (trio/holiday)

1993: Heal of the Hand (original piano solos)

Photos

Bio

Robin Spielberg is one of America’s most beloved pianists/composers. With an impressive tour schedule and over a million recordings sold, this Steinway Artist has been winning the hearts of listeners around the world with her compelling melodies and sensitive piano technique since debuting her first recording of  original solos for piano, Heal of the Hand.

Thousands of people have been both entertained and touched by Ms. Spielberg’s live concerts; her natural talent for making audiences immediately comfortable transforms what could easily be an ordinary evening at the concert hall into a very special concert Event. “Robin has such a personal and expressive way of playing, and her story-telling about the origins of the music makes the pieces come alive...the evening was both touching and mesmerizing” writes Wind & Wire Magazine of Robin’s San Francisco area concert. Robin has toured (sometimes with piano in tow) throughout the country, performing both her originals and arrangements of American standards. She also has a holiday program entitled, "In the Heart of Winter" which tours each December.

A prolific composer, Spielberg has sixteen recordings to her credit and appears on over 40 compilations around the world. Her discography includes albums of original piano solos, arrangements of American standards, original pieces for piano/ensemble, recordings for the holidays, a CD of Americana melodies, and a CD of lullabies. 


Spielberg’s debut recording on her own playMountain Music label, Dreaming of Summer, topped charts in Thailand, China, Hong-Kong, Korea and Malaysia, with one of the tracks also gaining popularity with audiences from its use as a soundtrack in the Korean award-winning television drama Winter Love Song. This track, Spielberg’s creative and compelling improvisation on the Canon in D has been Robin’s best-selling download on iTunes for sixteen years. Robin's memoir, Naked on the Bench: My Adventures in Pianoland was featured on numerous NPR stations and in book clubs nationwide demystifies the process of building a concert career and tells what is unexpected in the life of a touring musician. The Kirkus Review calls the book “A well-paced musical memoir about the value of perseverance.” The book has been released in softcover, e-book and audiobook formats, with Spielberg as reader. The book was awarded the Gold Medal from Reader's Favorite International.


Popular with Asian audiences, Robin has released two CDs in Korea and is on several compilations on Asian labels. She has toured in South Korea making concert appearances at the renowned Seoul Arts Center , LG Arts Center and KBS Hall. She recorded a special concert for Airiang TV which aired throughout Asia.
In the field of dance, The West Florida Youth Ballet choreographed a program of dance works based on her music, ballroom waltzes were choreographed to her pieces, Walk with Me and A Song for Jennie on PBS’ “Great American Ballroom Challenge”. University ballroom teams, including BYU Dance Team, has toured with her work, and international ballroom competitions have utilized her music for the compulsory waltz portion of competitions.

Robin Spielberg is a Celebrity Spokesperson for the American Music Therapy Association. She conducts workshops and seminars on the topic of music and healing throughout the U.S. in hospitals, schools, community centers, nursing care facilities and performing arts centers. Robin was selected to give a TEDx Talk on the transformative power of music in Spring 2014 at Millersville University where she serves as Adjunct Professor or Music. She was the featured performer at two of AMTA’s national conferences performing for over 1300 music therapists from around the world. She has conducted workshops and seminars for AMTA throughout the US. She served as panelist on “The Transformative Power of Music” during the Pennsylvania Presenters Conference and at the American Music Therapy national conference.

Ms. Spielberg graduated with high honors and a BFA from New York University. She is a founding member of the Tony-award winning Atlantic Theater Company. She currently resides in rural Pennsylvania with her husband/business partner, and their teenaged daughter.

Band Members