Robert Oetomo | Percussionist & Composer

Biography

Born in 1988, Robert Oetomo is currently undertaking his Master of Music in Performance (Percussion Solo/Ensemble) at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Mannheim under the direction of Professor Dennis Kuhn and Jasmin Kolberg. He completed his Bachelor of Music degree in performance with First-class Honours at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2010 under the direction of Daryl Pratt and Richard Miller.  Prior to completing this degree, he commenced a Bachelor of Music degree in composition at the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music in 2006, where he began his percussion studies with Gary Wain. Robert has toured extensively and performed around Europe, Asia, the United States and Australia, alongside various ensembles and orchestras including the Sydney Conservatorium Chamber Orchestra, the Sydney Conservatorium Percussion Quartet, the Australian Youth Orchestra, the SBS Youth Orchestra, the Juilliard School Symphony Orchestra and the San Francisco Conservatory Symphony Orchestra.

Robert has won many competitions and received prizes including third prize in the Vibraphone category at the 9th PAS Italy International Percussion Competition, 'Most Outstanding Performance Award' (the Just Percussion Marimba Prize) at the Australian Percussion Gathering 2010 in Brisbane, first prize in both the Open Marimba and the Open Vibraphone section at the 2010 Australian Percussion Eisteddfod, first prize in the Transcription for Solo Marimba section at the 2009 Australian Percussion Eisteddfod and second prize at the 2008 Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Snare Drum Award. He also won the 2010 Conservatorium Percussion Concerto Competition and performed as concerto soloist with the Sydney Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra. More recently, he received second prize in the Piano and Instrumental section and third prize in the Open section of the 2011 Australian Concerto and Vocal Competition in Townsville, Queensland. 

Robert has participated in masterclasses with Peter Prommel, Marta Klimasara, Peter Sadlo, Katarzyna Mycka, Christopher Lamb, David Herbert, Anders Åstrand, Tatiana Koleva, Alan Cumberland and Jan Williams. He has participated in various orchestral training programs including the 2010 and 2011 Australian Youth Orchestra National Music Camp, the 2011 Australian Youth Orchestra Season 1 program, the 2010 Australian International Symphony Orchestra Institute, the Sydney Youth Orchestra and the SBS Youth Orchestra. He has performed with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra in the winter season production of Puccini's 'La Boheme'. He presented a paper on 'The Transcription of J. S. Bach’s Unaccompanied Cello Suites for the Modern Marimba' at the Australian Percussion Gathering 2010 Symposium 'Moving Ground – The Changing Face of Percussion' in Brisbane, Queensland. Robert has been invited by Synergy Percussion to perform his award-winning new work, 'The Legend of the Golden Snail', at their Live House 4 Concert Series.

As a composer, he is a big advocate to the development and growth of percussion repertoire, specifically of Australian percussion repertoire. He has composed numerous works for percussion (solos, ensembles and concerto), and his works have been performed around the world including the United States, Hungary, Germany and Australia. His symphonic work with solo Didgeridoo, 'Spirit of The Dreaming' was premiered at the ‘2008 Aurora Music Festival’ by the Fisher’s Ghost Youth Orchestra and later that year, the piece was performed by the Lane Cove Youth Orchestra with William Barton on solo Didgeridoo. Robert was selected as one of three composers for the 2010 Ku-Ring-Gai Philharmonic Orchestra Composers' Workshop program in which he composed a new orchestral work titled 'Reflections on an Island’s Landscape' for the orchestra. He was under the guidance of Nigel Butterley and John Peterson for the duration of the workshop. His music is published through immaculate music edition, an Australian publishing house.

Biography current to March, 2012.

"... amazingly expressive playing, great rhythmic precision, and impressive rhythmic vitality and subtle nuances. A very fine performance."

                                                                                                                  - Professor John Hopkins OBE

"Challenging is something of an understatement for percussionist Robert Oetomo, who will be performing solo on Australian composer Richard Mills' the Sequenzas Concertantes - a piece composed for three percussionists."