Robin Spielberg (born November 20, 1962) is an American pianist, composer, actress, and author. Her album Downtown charted at #5, and By Way of the Wind charted at #7 on Billboards Classical Crossover Chart in 2023. Spielberg is a Steinway artist, has performed at Carnegie Hall, and has toured extensively with singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb."Robin Spielberg in Concert at Carnegie Hall", Montclair Times, page 11, June 1, 2000 She is a founding member of the Atlantic Theater Company, made her off-Broadway debut in Boy's Life at Lincoln Center in 1988, and has performed in radio dramas. Her memoir, Naked on the Bench: My Adventures in Pianoland, received positive reviews and won the Readers' Favorite gold medal in 2014. She gave a TEDx talk titled "The Healing Power of Music" in 2014, and is a spokesperson for the American Music Therapy Association.
Early life and education Robin Spielberg was raised in the suburban town of Maplewood, New Jersey and began formal piano lessons at the age of seven.Jones, Richard O. (2009) "Robin Spielberg plays Valentines on the piano", Hamilton Journal-News, February 5, 2009 She attended Michigan State University and later Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, graduating from NYU with honors and a BFA in Undergraduate Drama.
Her paternal grandfather, Rubin Spielberg, a flutist, and her great-uncle Herman Spielberg, a violinist, were musicians with the NBC Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Arturo Toscanini.The Bangor Daily News, "Pianist's Music Healing", page 36, December 20, 1997"Pianist Has Gift in Store for Audience", Boston Herald, May 15, 1997"Robin Spielberg: Setting Her Life to a Soundtrack", Alexandria Times, October 1, 2009. Retrieved November 10, 2013 Although she never met her grandfather, in her memoir she credits him with providing creative inspiration.Spielberg, Robin, Naked on the Bench: My Adventures in Pianoland, A Memoir, Spobs Music Incorporated 2013, prologue
Career Spielberg is a co-founder of the Atlantic Theater Company and wrote the music for its first musical, Balloonland, in 1991. She has acted in off-Broadway plays including Howard Korder's Boys' Life and The Lights at Lincoln Center, composed music for David Mamet's translation of Three Sisters (directed by William H. Macy), and had roles in two children's plays written by (David Mamet) which aired on NPR."Robin Spielberg", Wayne Today, page A52, September 30, 2004"Boys Life: A Brash Comedy From a Newcomer to Watch", Newsday, page 131, March 1, 1988Stuart, Jan (1991) "A Mamet-Style Version of 'Sisters'", Newsday, April 18, 1991, p. 67 (Part II)"Atlantic Theater Company's Three Sisters" by William Collins, The Philadelphia Inquirer, page 86, January 18, 1991 She played piano in hotel lobbies and piano rooms for several years while pursuing her acting career.
In 1993, Spielberg self-released her solo piano debut album, Heal of the Hand, produced by Steven Miller, which was later released by North Star Music. It became their best-selling album in 1994 and 1995."Day Job Leads to Career for Pianist Robin Spielberg", Press of Atlantic City, page 162, July 24, 1998 Spielberg was added to the Steinway Artist roster in 1996."Steinway Artists", Steinway & Sons. Retrieved December 7, 2013.""Pianist Robin Spielberg" in Tracy", Lodi News-Sentinel, February 8, 2008, p. 3. Retrieved November 10, 2013 In 1997, she made her concert debut in a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall's Weill Hall."The Way to Carnegie Hall?", The Record, page 88, March 14, 1997"Robin Spielberg: From Carnegie Hall to Ronan Tonight", Char Koosta News, page A2, March 22, 2007 She has released 24 studio albums and has had five top-10 Billboard charting albums. Her music has won Global Music Awards, and has been nominated for a Hollywood Independent Music Award and a Hollywood Music in Media Award. Spielberg's music has been featured on PBS and the History Channel, among others."Robin Spielberg in a Valentine's Day Weekend Concert", Montclair Times, page D9, February 11, 2012
Spielberg has toured throughout the United States and Eastern Asia. In 2023, made her orchestral debut as piano soloist with the Brazosport Symphony Orchestra featuring her original work for full symphony, By Way of the Wind.
Her memoir, Naked on the Bench: My Adventures in Pianoland, received positive reviews, with Kirkus calling it "a well-paced musical memoir about the value of perseverance".
Billboard album charts Year TitleUS 2018 On the Edge of a Dream: Piano Solos For Dreaming 6 2020 Love Story 11 2021 Give My Regards to Broadway 7 2023 Downtown 5 2023 By Way of the Wind 7
Awards {|class="wikitable sortable" !Year !Nominated work !Category !Award !Result |- | 2024 || "Flying" || Icon Award Winner/Best Classical Crossover Song/Best Production|| Intercontinental Music Awards|| |- | 2024 || "Ireland: An Orchestral Portrait" (music video)|| Best Original Score||Swedish International Film Festival|| |- | 2024 || "By Way of the Wind" || Best Classical Crossover Album|| Radio Music Awards|| |- | 2023 || "Best in Music Genre" || Contemporary Classical|| Hollywood Independent Music Award|| |- | 2023 || "Best in Music Genre"|| Best Classical Song|| Clouzine Award|| |- | 2023 || "By Way of the Wind" || Contemporary Classical|| Global Music Award (Gold Medal)|| |- | 2022 || "Ireland: An Orchestral Portrait"|| Classical Crossover, Orchestral Arrangement|| Global Music Award (Silver Medal)|| |- | 2022 || "Best in Music Genre" || Epic, Orchestral|| Hollywood Music in Media Award|| |- | 2018 || "On the Edge of a dream" || Album of the Year|| Whisperings Solo Piano Radio|| |- | 2015 || "Another Time, Another Place" || Album of the Year|| Whisperings Solo Piano Radio|| |- | 2014 || "Naked on the Bench: My Adventures in Pianoland" ||Readers Choice ||Gold Medal|| |- | 1988 || "Boy's Life" ||Outstanding Ensemble Performance||Drama Desk Award||
Theater Spielberg is a founding member of the Atlantic Theater Company,"Atlantic Theater Company -- Ensemble", Atlantic Theater Company. Retrieved December 7, 2013. and acted in dozens of plays with the company, including Boys' Life (which was nominated for a Drama Desk award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance) and The Lights by Howard Korder at Lincoln Center.Richards, David (1988), "Boys' Life': Knowing the Score; In N.Y., a Sharp Look At the Pickup Game", The Washington Post, March 21, 1988, p. C1 She composed music for several Atlantic Theater Company productions, including the David Mamet adaptation of Three Sisters directed by William H. Macy,Gussow, Mel (1991) "Review/Theater; Speaking, in Mamet's Words, to the Subconscious", The New York Times, April 18, 1991. Retrieved November 10, 2013 and two children's plays written by David Mamet airing on National Public Radio (NPR): The Poet and the Rent and The Revenge of the Space Pandas. In 1992, Spielberg and Barry Shulak co-wrote a musical for young audiences entitled Balloonland. Originally produced in Vermont by the Atlantic Theater Company, Balloonland later debuted off-Broadway on ATC's New York City stage in 1993."Atlantic Theater Company Production History", Atlantic Theater Company. Retrieved November 10, 2013Theater Week, vol. 6 (1993), p. 36
Albums and awards As of 2023, Spielberg had recorded 24 albums and appeared on over 50 compilations.
Her debut album of original piano solos entitled Heal of the Hand was recorded independently in 1993.Wright, Carol "Heal of the Hand Review", Allmusic. Retrieved 10 November 2013 The album was picked up by the indie label North Star Music in 1994, and became their best-selling CD of the decade.Brown, Alison (1999) "Spielberg Keyed Up for Concert", Ocala Star-Banner, October 8, 1999, p. 6. Retrieved November 10, 2013 According to North Star president Richard Waterman, Spielberg sold between 160,000 and 200,000 albums during 1995 and 1996, although SoundScan only registered 1,800 sales, with the bulk of sales through specialist outlets.DiConstanzo, Frank (1996) "In-Store Tours Offer Alternative", Billboard, November 23, 1996, p. 73. Retrieved November 10, 2013 By 1999 she had reportedly sold 300,000 albums.
Spielberg's original 1994 agreement with North Star Music was a six-record deal, covering recording and release of two albums per year over the course of three years. During this period, the following titles were released under the North Star label: Heal of the Hand (1993), Spirit of the Holidays (1994) featuring Christmas-themed tracks,Beauchamp, Lane (1995) "Dig around and you might just find festive treasures: New holiday releases include many albums of interesting compilations", Kansas City Star, December 8, 1995, p. 12 Unchained Melodies (1995), In the Heart of Winter (1995), Songs of the Spirit (1996), and In the Arms of the Wind (1997). Additional titles subsequently released by North Star include Mother (1999) and Spa Piano (2007). The former is a collaboration with singers Susan McKeown and Cathie Ryan featuring songs celebrating motherhood."Songs Pay Tribute to Mothers", Deseret News, May 9, 1999 When North Star folded in 2011, Spielberg bought back the masters for her albums released under that label.
Beginning in 2000, Spielberg started releasing albums under her own playMountain Music label. These include Beautiful Dreamer (2000), Dreaming of Summer (2000), The Christmas Collection (2002), American Chanukah (2002), With a Song in My Heart (2004), Memories of Utopia (2005), A New Kind of Love (2008), Sea to Shining Sea: A Tapestry of American Music (2010), Another Time, Another Place (2015), On The Edge Of A Dream: Piano Solos For Dreaming (2018), Love Story (2020), Re-Inventions (2020), Give My Regards to Broadway (2021), Downtown (2022), and By Way of the Wind (2023).
Another Time, Another Place was nominated for a Zone Music Award. On May 7, 2016, Spielberg performed at the awards show at the Joy Theater New Orleans, Louisiana. The album was also nominated for a Whisperings Solo Piano Radio Award and a One World Music Radio award in the UK.
In March 2018 Spielberg debuted at number 6 in the Billboard New Age chart with her album On the Edge of a Dream: Piano Solos For Dreaming. The CD was ranked number 7 on the Zone Music Reporter radio charts for the months of June and July 2018.
During 2022 she was nominated by the Hollywood Music in Media Awards for her epic piece Ireland: An Orchestral Portrait. The piece won Clouzine International Magazines award for "Best Classical Song" in 2023, and a silver medal for Best Orchestral Arrangement and Best Classical Crossover composition at the Global Music Awards.
In June 2023 Spielberg's piano arrangements of nostalgic pop songs, Downtown, debuted at #5 on Billboards Classical Crossover chart.
By Way of the Wind, Spielberg's fully orchestrated album of original works, debuted on Billboards Classical Crossover chart at #8 on November 4, 2023, and remained on the chart for three weeks. The Brazosport Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Brian Casey, premiered the entire collection of work on By Way of the Wind on November 12, 2023, with Spielberg as soloist. In December 2023, Global Music Awards designated Spielberg a Gold Medal Winner in the category Contemporary Classical - Composer for By Way of the Wind.
In addition to her recording career, Spielberg served as an inaugural member of the Independent Music Awards' judging panel.Independent Music Awards - Past Judges
Spielberg was added to the Steinway Artist roster in 1996.
Performances