Comprehensive Bio
Portrait by Adreana
1959-61 Ph.D. in Composition, University of Iowa; composition with Philip Bezanson
1958-59 Studied composition with Guido Turchi in Rome
1957-58 Hochschule für Musik, Berlin; composition with Boris Blacher; harpsichord with Sylvia Kind
1954-55 M.Mus. in composition &
1950-54 B.Mus. in composition, Hartt School of Music,
University of Hartford; composition with Isadore Freed; orchestration & counterpoint with Arnold Franchetti
Teaching Experience
1964-99 Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University; Composer-in-residence and Professor of theory & composition
1985-86 Visiting Professor of Theory & Composition at Oberlin, Ohio
1963-64 Hartt School of Music: Theory
1959-61 University of Iowa: Theory
Awards
Illinois Arts Council Fellowships (1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1996, 2002 & 2008)
Columbia College Dance Center (1983)
National Endowment for the Arts (1976 & 1981)
Percussive Arts Society (1976)
Guggenheim Fellowship (1965)
Sigma Alpha Iota (1965)
Ford Foundation Grants (1962, 1963 & 1964)
Serge Koussevitzky Composition Prize at Tanglewood (1958)
Broadcast Music Inc. (1957 & 1958)
Commissions
Almita & Roland Vamos & Recording (2010)
Radio Station WNIB (1994) & WNIB (1991)
Marlene Ralis-Rosen & Michael Rosen (Oberlin Conservatory) (1988)
WFMT (1980)
Columbia College (1976)
Mr. & Mrs. Lee A. Freeman (1974)
Chicago Musical College (1972)
Goodman Theatre (1966 & 1967)
Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress (1965)
Fromm Foundation (1957)
Principal Performances
VARIATIONS ON JOY & LAUGHTER for Kathleen. Premiere performance in Maui, Honolulu by MingHuan Xu, violin & Winston Choi, piano (March, 2015)
Premiere performance of AGAINST FORGETTING, a cantata composed in memory of the children of the Holocaust on a text by Kathleen Lombardo with music by Robert Lombardo. Millennium Park, Chicago
(September 11, 2013)
Roosevelt University. Concert of music by Robert Lombardo in celebration of his 80th Birthday, featuring six premieres. (2012)
Music Institute of Chicago (Four Score Festival) Last Letters Home & Painters’ Notes. 75th birthday celebration (2008)
MusicNOW (CSO performers), Compressions II for viola & piano (2005)
Concertante di Chicago, The Dodo for narr. & orchestra; premiere (2005)
Roosevelt University. An Evening of Music by Robert Lombardo;
Pacifica Qt, Julia Bentley & Salvatore Spina Broadcast over WFMT (2003)
Pacifica Quartet (2001)
Ars Viva (1998)
Memphis Symphony Orchestra (1996)
St. Christopher’s Chamber Orchestra. Baltic Music Festival “Gaida” Vilnius, Lithuania (1995)
Chicago String Ensemble (1995)
CUBE (“360 Concert”) (1992)
Chicago String Ensemble (1991)
The New Opera Company (Sorrows of a Supersoul and Tango on the Moon(1988)
Chicago Chamber Orchestra (1988)
International Festival of Contemporary Music, Turku, Finland (1988)
The New Opera Company (The Dodo & Tango on the Moon) (1985)
Friends of the Gamelan (1983)
Tango on the Moon (1982)
Chicago String Ensemble (1981)
Roosevelt Univ. opera singers: Lincoln Park Zoo (The Dodo)(1979)
Fine Arts Quartet (1974)
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Carlo Maria Giulini, conductor (1972)
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Max Rudolf, conductor (1966)
Contemporary Chamber Players (1966)
Stichting Gaudeamus, International Music Festival
Bilthoven, The Netherlands (1966 & 1960)
Berlin Radio (1960)
Boston Symphony Players at Tanglewood (1957)
Compositions
Opera
(All librettos by Kathleen Lombardo)
Sorrows of a Supersoul: a chamber opera in one act (1967)
The Dodo: a chamber opera in one act (1975)
Tango on the Moon: a chamber opera in one act (1982)
Johnny Sequel: a chamber opera in one act
and sequel to Gianni Schicchi (1993)
Orchestra
Orchestral Fantasy (1962)
Threnody for Strings (1964)
Aphorisms for Orchestra (1968)
Sicilian Lyric for Orchestra (1976)
Mesto for Bassoon & String Orchestra (1978)
The Dodo-a story with music for young people-
for Narrator & Orch.(1983)
Slendrone for Gamelan (1986)
Three Pieces for Harp & Gamelan (1986)
Aria Variata for Soprano & String Orchestra (1991)
Orpheus & the Maenads: Concerto for Mandolin
& String Orchestra (1994 )
Against Forgetting: In memory of the Holocaust children, for
Mezzo Sop, Boys’ Choir, Perc., Harp & String Orch. (1997)
Last Letters Home: A Meditation on War for mezzo soprano, Strings & Percussion (2004)
Concerto for marimba & string orchestra (2004)
Largo Doloroso for String Orchestra (2004)
Piccolo Concertino for mandolin & mandolin orchestra (2008)
Chamber Music – (without voice)
Cinque piccoli pezzi (1965) (vln. & pft.)
In Memoriam (1967) (bsn. & str. Trio)
Largo (1969) (str. Qrt.)
Fourplay (1969) (vln., bsn., perc. & hpschd.)
Yes! (1971) (cl., trpt., perc., & vlc.)
Duels & Duets (1971) (bsn., & vibe.)
Aria & Fragments (1973) (vlc. & harp)
Watergate Music (1974) (cl. & pft. or vla. & pft)
Second String Quartet (1974)
Five Duets (1975) (vln. & harp)
Variations for Two Percussionists (1975)
Duo Variations for Trumpet & Harp (1977)
Why Not? (1978) (two tubas)
Fantasy with Variations (1979) (bsn. & hpschd.)
Piano mezzo piano (1979) (trbn. & timp.)
Cantabile (1981) (alto sax & vibe.)
Ed e’ subito sera (in memoriam Rosalia Lombardo )(1984) (ob. & str. trio)
Elegia #1 (1984) (2 cl. & guit.)
Threnody (1984) (rev. 1997)(str. oct.)
Five Inventions (1984) (two bonangs & perc.)
Three Easy Pieces (1985) (perc trio)
Elegia #3 (1990) (two vlc. & guit.)
Contrasti a due (1991) (mand. & mar.)
Dance Suite (1993) piano
Farewell, Vienna (1994) cello & piano
Chamber Concerto (1998) for string qt., cb. & mandolin
Musaic: String Quartet III (1999) (rev. 2001 & 2010)
Duels & Duets II for violin & cello (2000)
Compressions II for viola & piano (2001)
Snapshots & Reflections for string quartet (2004)
Snapshots & Reflections for fl.,Bbcl. vln., cello & marimba (2004)
Concertino for piano and small ensemble (2004)
Duo for English horn & marimba (2004) Arranged for alto sax & marimba (2005)
Painters’ Notes for violin & viola (2006)
Shakugo: three movements for shakuhachi & kugo (2008) version for alto fl. & kugo (2009)
Premonitions for string trio (2009)
Espressivo/Agitato for violin & piano (2011)
Chamber Music – (with voice)
Pierrot (1959 rev. 1995) (sop. & pft.)
Five Songs (1959) (sop & vlc.)
I due orfani (1959) (sop., alto, fl., ob., hn., pft., str. trio & cb.)
Solo Cantata (1963) (bar., fl., b.cl., trpt., 2 trbn., 3 perc., pft., vlc. & cb.)
Three Italian Poems (1964) (narr.., fl., perc. & cb.)
Song for Morpheus (1965) (sop. & vibe. or sop. & pft.)
Dialogues of Lovers (1966) (sop, bar, fl, ob, cl.,trbn , pft., perc., str. trio)
Three Cinquains (1966) (alto voice, fl., bsn,. vibe. & cb.)
War Ballad (1966) (female narr. & vlc.)
Program Notes (1968) (sop., fl., b.cl., vlc. & cb. )
Climbing for Tree Frogs (1969) (sop. & hpschd.)
Climbing for Tree Frogs (1969) (sop., fl., ob., cl., mar., harp, vla. & cb.)
Liftoff (1971) (ten. & pft.)
Frosted Window: Variations on White (1975) (sop., bsn., vla. & perc.)
Erogenous Zongs (1978) (sop., fl/picc/alto fl. & perc.)
Songs to Kandinsky (1980) (sop., cl/b.cl. & vla.
Fanfare with Aria (1981) (sop., 2 perc. & vlc.)
Down the Rapids of Sleep: Three Dream Songs (1981)(sop, 2 perc. & vlc)
Bedtime Story (1983 rev. 1988) (two songs for bar., mar. & cb.)
Elegia #2 (1985) (sop., alto & guit.)
Three Winter Scenes (1985) (SATB)
Seven Deadly Sins (1988) (sop. & mar.)
Lamentations & a Prayer 1989 (SATB & two cellos)
Overture, Aria & Tango (1988) (sop., fl., cl/b.cl., perc.& str. trio)
Affreschi caldi (1996) (lyric mezzo sop, mand., guit. & harp)
Making a Nest (1997) (lyric mezzo sop & English Horn)
Two Madrigals for solo voices SSAA(2000)
Last Letters Home: a meditation on War(2003) for mezzo sop & str. qrt.
Last Letters Home arranged for mezzo soprano, cello & piano (2004)
Duo Amoroso (2004) for mezzo soprano & viola
Three Duets for mezzo soprano flute (dbl piccolo & alto flute) (2004)
Elegia IIa (2004) ( mezzo soprano & harp)
Kandinsky Songs (2004) (mezzo sop, fl [dbl alto & picc], vla & harp)(arrangement of 1988 cycle)
The Dodo for Narrator & Chamber Ensemble (2005)(arr. of 1983 version for narrator & Orchestra)
Frosted Window II for mezzo soprano, flute dbl alto flute & mandolin (2009)
Tobokugo for narrator & kugo (2010)
Fantasy Variations #10 for guitar (2010)
Affreschi caldi (arranged for eight instruments and
mezzo soprano) (2012)
Instrumental Solo
Fantasy for piano (1960)
Piano Variations (1964)
Variations on a Lyric Theme for Percussion (one player) (1965)
Nocturne for Contrabass Alone (1966)
Selected Shorts for Piano (1970)
Fantasy Variations #1 for Cello (1970)
Fantasy Variations #2 for Harpsichord (1972)
Fantasy Variations #3 for Violin (1972)
Movement for Viola Sola (1958; rev.1973)
Dark Pastorale for Guitar (1973)
Blues for Cello Alone (1978)
Tango for Piano (1982)
The Dark Side of the moon for Alto Flute (1982)
Tranquillo/Precipitoso for piano (1984; rev. 1993)
In a Breath: Five Pieces for Piano (1987)
Out of Step: A Dance Suite for Piano (1988)
Contrasti for Mandolin (1990)
Five One-minute pieces for percussion trio (1991)
Lullaby and Cadenza for Mandolin and Tape (1991)
Two Inventions and a Reprise for Piano (1991)
Fantasy Variations #4 for Mandolin (1992)
Fantasy Variations #5 for Alto Saxophone (1993)
Fantasy Variations #6 for Bb Clarinet (1997)
Siminiature for solo violin (2002)
Fantasy Variations #7 for solo flute (2004)
Semi-suite: Three pieces for solo violin (2004)
Haikugo: three pieces for kugo (2004
Fantasy Variations #8 for viola (2005)
In the Fast Lane for piano (2007)
Mazurka Drammatica for piano (2007)
Tomokugo for kugo (2008)
Fantasy Variations #9 for piano (2008)
Fantasy Variations #10 for Guitar (2010)
Blink: Thirty Piano Pieces for Little Fingers (2011)
Choral Music
Rosalia: A Madrigal for 24 Voices SATB (1968)
Three Winter Scenes (SATB )(1985)
Lamentations and a Prayer (SATB & two cellos) (1989)
Two Madrigals (SSAA) (2000)
Multimedia
Down the Rabbit Hole (1975) (actors, singers, dancers, film
& instruments
“I Want x I Need ÷ I Have” (1990) (projections, puppets & slides)
Incidental Music for “To Save a Kinsman,” a radio play by Kathleen Lombardo for WFMT
Musicals
(All texts by Kathleen Lombardo)
Joplin (1977)
Northside/Southside (1981)
Mahalia and Me (1983)
Sweets (1990)
Dance
Independence Day (1973) (harp, double gamelan & dancers)
Electronic Music
Separation of Church and State of the Art (1986)
Aural Arguments with Boulez (1987)
Hand Jabs: Three Etudes for the DX7 (1988)
Membership
BMI
Publications
Fantasy Variations #4 (solo mandolin) Wolfhead Music
Five American Duos; Duo Amoroso (viola & Mezzo-soprano) Classical Vocal Recordings
Duels & Duets (bassoon & vibraphone) Jeanné Music Publishers
Dark Side of the Moon (alto flute solo) Jeanné
Duo for alto sax & marimba Jeanne’
Dance Suite: an Entertainment for saxophone quartet Jeanne’
Fantasy Variations #5 for solo alto sax Jeanne’
Cantabile (saxophone & vibe.) Dorn Publications
Recordings
Composers Recording Society (The Dodo, a chamber opera).
Northwestern University, Salvatore Spina, pianist. Four Compositions.
Albany Records (Aria Variata) Czech National Symphony Orchestra
Albany Records, Music for Mandolin (six works for mandolin) (Dimitris Marinos,
mandolinist & Members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra, Cliff Colnot, conductor)
Motema. Along the Silk Road: Haikugo for kugo & Shakugo for alto flute & kugo
* * *
All my music and sketches are housed in the music library at
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL link below: http://findingaids.library.northwestern.edu/catalog/inu-ead-mus-archon-1463
Robert Lombardo
5555 N. Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL, 60640
www.musaic3532@gmail.com