Robert Honstein (b. 1980) is a composer of orchestral, dramatic, chamber, vocal and electronic music. Residing in New Haven, CT, he is pursuing his doctorate at the Yale School of Music where he has studied with Martin Bresnick, David Lang and Christopher Theofanidis. He received a Masters of Music from the University of Texas at Austin, studying with Dan Welcher, Donald Grantham, and Kevin Puts, and earned his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Yale College where he studied with Kathryn Alexander, John Halle, and Matthew Suttor.
Robert’s music has been performed extensively by many wonderful musicians and ensembles including the Yale Philharmonia, the Bard College Orchestra, the Albany Symphony Orchestra, Simon Carrington and the Norfolk Summer Chamber Choir, the University of Texas at Austin New Music Ensemble, the Fireworks Ensemble, the Young New Yorkers Chorus, the Tosca Quartet, the Mana Quartet, and the Thursday Morning Saxophone Quartet.
Recognized by awards from ASCAP (2006, 2007 Morton Gould Young Composer Award) and SCI, his work has been featured at numerous conferences and festivals including the Bowdoin Summer Music Festival, the Oregon Bach Festival, the 2008 North American Saxophone Alliance conference, the 2006 national SCI student Conference, the College-Conservatory of Music Music04 festival, the 2010 seamus conference, Spring in Havana, Electronic Music Midwest, the Florida Electronic Music Festival, and the New York City Electro-Acoustic Music Festival.
Robert also pursues an active performing career as a pianist and singer. In addition to performing his own works he plays for choir, dance, and church services in the New Haven area. As a singer he has performed extensively in both early music ensembles and professional choral ensembles, including the renowned Austin, TX ensemble Conspirare, with whom he sang on their 2007 Grammy nominated recording, Requiem.
Recently, Robert collaborated with Canadian musician Leanne Zacharias to create the Arc Ensemble, a group of six musicians from both concert and popular music backgrounds. Robert played piano, sang, arranged, and composed a newly commissioned work for the group’s inaugural tour in and around Winnipeg, Canada. Following an enthusiastic response from both audience and press, the ensemble’s first show will be broadcasted nationally by the CBC in March of 2010. Future engagements include an upcoming Fall 2010 tour of Ontario and Quebec.
Robert is also active as an educator. He taught musicianship for two years at UT Austin and both composition and music theory at Yale College, as well as private composition lessons to New Haven area residents. As a writer he has published articles for the online journal New Music Box including coverage of the 2008 SXSW music festival in Austin, TX. Robert is an avid outdoor enthusiast,and enjoys running, yoga and mountains.