Originally from central Virginia, American pianist Robert Brooks Carlson is an emerging artist committed to community engagement through solo and collaborative performance. Much of Robert’s work often takes aim at issues that exist outside the concert hall, focusing on various social topics such as racial/gender inequity, and mental health awareness.

Robert has performed in Spain, Germany, Netherlands, and throughout the United States. Previous notable engagements have included the James Madison University Wind Symphony and the Rapidan Orchestra as a soloist. Recently, Robert has completed fellowships at Art of the Piano, PianoFest in the Hamptons, the Gilmore Festival, Olympic Music Festival, and Music Academy of the West. Robert has won numerous awards in recent years, including the special prize at the 2022 Seattle International Piano Competition, and second prize in the 2021 National Federation of Music Clubs Young Artists Competition.

A devoted collaborator, Robert proudly served as the collaborative artist for Hear Us Hear Them, a choir based in Cincinnati, with the mission to highlight works by underrepresented and marginalised composers, during its 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons. As a chamber musician, Robert has coached with acclaimed violinist Kristin Lee, Julio Elizalde, and members of the Ariel, Aizuri, and Miami string quartets.

This September, Robert will begin his doctoral studies as a Graduate Teaching Fellow at the City University of New York Graduate Center, where he will continue his studies with the internationally acclaimed pianist Soyeon Kate Lee. Robert holds degrees from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and James Madison University. Previous teachers include Nicholas Ross, Emily Yap Chua, Lori Piitz, and Paulo Steinberg.