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BIOGRAPHY

Robert Wallace was born in Washington DC and was raised a classical pianist from age five. The bulk of his classical and theory training was under Dr. Valerica Maican, a double doctorate in composition and piano, and student of the legendary Nadia Boulanger. Starting in 2005, he started splitting his time between the US and South Africa, where he added a focus on jazz piano, studying with pianists like Jason Reolan and Bokani Macha, until deciding to pursue classical piano and composition back in the US after completing high school.
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Robert’s career has included multiple national and international awards for piano performance and composition, including performing twice at Carnegie Hall and at Vienna’s Ehrbar Hall. He graduated from Berklee College of Music in May of 2020, magna cum laude, with concentrations in Film Scoring, Conducting, and Jazz Composition. Now living in Los Angeles, he scores for sound libraries and other video projects. He is an assistant composer on HBO's new docu-series "Allen V. Farrow".
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Robert's goal is to use harmony to add undiscovered depths of emotion to series, documentaries and films.

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EDUCATION

  • Primary instruction in piano performance, theory and composition from Dr. Valerica Maican (PhD in piano performance; PhD in composition), 2001-2016

  • Private jazz piano study with Jason Reolon, Cape Town, 2010-12

  • Private jazz piano study with Dan Dufford, Washington DC, 2008-10

  • Private jazz piano study with Bokani Macha, Botswanan, Cape Town, 2007-08

  • Private jazz piano instruction from Robert Cristopherson, Alizon Lissance, Steve Heck and Polo Orti from 2016-2018

  • Magna cum laude Graduate from Berklee College of Music with concentrations in Film Scoring, Conducting and Jazz Composition

COMPETITION ACCOLADES

  • Golden Key International Piano Composition Competition, 2016 Second Place Winner

  • Golden Key National Piano Composition Competition, 2016 Second Place Winner

  • 2016 Debut International Piano Competition, Second Degree Diploma and Carnegie Hall

    Memorable Medal

  • American College of Musicians, National Guild of Piano Teachers 2014 Piano Composition

    Competition, Irl Allison Sr. Award

  • 2014 Grand Prix winner of Music-Fest Rising Talents Competition

Show coming up 🎹🎼 - December 4th! @mid
PERFORMANCE
EXPERIENCE

  • Berklee BPC show for Berklee’s Women Showcase, performing with Charley Tiernan in 2019

  • Afrika Grow Festival on New Years Eve 2019, as part of Face’s live band set

  • Radio City in Valencia, Spain, in May 2018, as part of Sarah Khatami’s band

  • Shows at The Middle East in the Joe Cocker Ensemble and the Sarah Messiahs Band in 2019

  • The Lilypad in Cambridge, Boston, in July 2018, with band playing all original pieces arranged for organ, drums, bass, trumpet and voice

  • Carnegie Hall (New York) performance on June 6, 2016, as Winner of Second Degree Diploma,

    Debut International Piano Competition

  • World Composers Recital, Golden Key Music Festival at Vienna, Ehrbar Hall on August 3, 2016, to play compositions as a winner of the 2016 Golden Key International and National Piano Composition Competitions

  • Solo piano recital, Casa Labia, Cape Town, South Africa, February 1, 2015: works by Chopin, Liszt, Bach, Debussy, Copland, and my own compositions

  • Carnegie Hall (New York) recital, March 16, 2014, as 2014 Grand Prix winner of US Music-Fest Rising Talents Competition

  • Classical recital, Antarctica, 2012, for audience including former US Vice President Al Gore, Iceland President Olaf Grimsson, Sir Richard Branson and Jason Mraz

  • Jazz recital, Washington DC, St. Patricks Episcopal Church, July 23, 2010, for audience including President Barack Obama

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AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS

  • Golden Key International Piano Composition Competition, 2016 Second Place Winner

  • 2016 Debut International Piano Competition, Second Degree Diploma and Carnegie Hall Memorable Medal

  • American College of Musicians, National Guild of Piano Teachers 2014 Piano Composition Competition, Irl Allison Sr. Award

  • 2014 Grand Prix winner of Music-Fest Rising Talents Competition

  • Viola Hartman Piano Performance Competition, Catholic University, 2003

  • Washington Music Teachers Association Piano Performance Competition, 2002

  • Washington Conservatory of Music, Honours Recital Audition, 2001

  • American College of Musicians, National Piano-Playing Auditions, 2001

Shots from the Ubik open mic show on Tue
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