Composer Robin Spielberg Makes Symphonic Debut

Composer/Pianist Robin Spielberg Releases First Symphonic Work By Way of the Wind

CD and Streaming Release October 20, 2023

Billboard charting American pianist, composer, and author (Naked on the Bench: My Adventures in Pianoland) Robin Spielberg expands her repertoire with her 24th album and first symphonic work, By Way of the Wind, releasing October 20, 2023. One of America's pre-eminent living female composers, Spielberg's career began as one of the founding members of the Atlantic Theater Company as the composer for their first full musical, Balloonland, and has since flourished with a wide-ranging discography including arrangements of American standards, original pieces for piano/ensemble, holiday recordings, lullabies and more.

As Spielberg describes her most ambitious work to date, "By Way of the Wind is music that reflects how we are carried, pushed, challenged, and guided through life by unseen forces." A theme of resilience runs through the 11 tracks, recorded with the Budapest Scoring Orchestra for the CD, in compositions including "Circle of Life," "Walk with Me," the immigration journey inspired "A Song for Jennie," and the "New Freedom Suite" tribute to members of the armed services and veterans. A national tour is planned using local orchestras for 2024.

By Way of the Wind's core theme of resilience continues Spielberg's interest in the connection between music and healing synergized when she witnessed the positive effect music had on her own baby when born prematurely and the impact music had on all the babies in the neo-natal intensive care unit when she began to play recordings of her compositions during her daughter's four-month stay. Her multi-faceted work as a founding member of the Mindful Music Association, a National Artist Spokesperson for the American Music Therapy Association, and a C.A.R.E. Channel Artist featured in hospitals across the country has drawn attention to the connections between music and mental health. During the Covid-19 lockdown, Spielberg began a weekly livestream to make a personal connection with her fans, which she continues Fridays at 9 pm eastern when she is not on tour at http://www.YouTube.com/robinspielberg. Spielberg's popular TEDx TALK on music and wellness has over 400,000 views (https://youtube.com.watch?v=8LTusPwrH9E) and inspired a tour of lectures and workshops in schools, hospitals, community centers, nursing care facilities and performing arts centers nationwide including the Mayo Clinic, Eastern Tennessee State University, Fergus Fall Arts Center, Saint Joseph College, Castleton State College, The Kerr Cultural Center, and the Pennsylvania Psychological Association.

A limited-edition 60-minute CD of By Way of the Wind will be released October 20 during National Mental Health Awareness Month, which will include a 20-page collection of stories that inspired the music, poetry, line drawings, and quotes, as well as an enamel collector's pin, and postcards intended to inspire communication and connection. The music will also be simultaneously released on all digital streaming services. Spielberg's previous works have charted on Billboard's Classical Crossover and New Age charts. The CD package ($42.50) is available for pre-order at https://www.robinspielberg.com. 

The music from By Way of the Wind has started to get attention pre-release. "Ireland: An Orchestral Portrait" has won the Gold Award for "Best Classical Song" in the Clouzine International Music Awards, a Silver Medal from The Global Music Awards, and was a nominee in the Holly Music and Media Awards (HMMAS). "Walk with Me" received a nomination from the Hollywood Independent Music Awards in the Contemporary Classical category (August 2023 awards). The entire set of orchestrated works, including the featured "New Freedom Suite," will have its live debut in a Veterans Day concert in the Houston area on November 12.

About Robin Spielberg

Robin Spielberg is one of America's most beloved pianist/composers. With an impressive tour schedule and hundreds of thousands of recordings sold, this Steinway Artist has been winning the hearts of listeners around the world with her compelling melodies and sensitive piano techniques since debuting her first recording of original solos for piano, Heal of the Hand. Spielberg began her music career as one of the 30 undergraduate founding members of the Atlantic Theater Company working with David Mamet and William H. Macy and composed the music for their first full musical, Balloonland. She made her Carnegie Hall debut in 1997.

A prolific composer, Spielberg has 23 recordings to her credit prior to this release and appears on more than 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 American melodies, and a CD of lullabies. She is in the top 1% of artists played on Pandora Radio, the internet's largest radio station. In addition to over 200 million streams on that platform, she has 160,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and has sold over a million physical CDs of her piano-centric music.

Spielberg's memoir, Naked on the Bench: My Adventures in Pianoland, won the 2014 Gold Medal in the Reader's Favorite International Book Award contest. In it, she demystifies the life of a touring artist with humor, praised as a 'must read' for anyone going into the arts by the Kirkus Review.