Robert Furuya

Block Party available now!

ABOUT

In his works, Robert Furuya aims to evoke the joy, wonder, and catharsis that music brings to him. Using his own harmonic language of spiky, warped consonance, Robert enjoys exploring rhythm, churning contrapuntal textures, catchy melodic fragments, driving energy, and a sense of space throughout his music.Most recently, his piece Block Party was premiered by the Contemporary Art Music Project at the Timucua Arts Foundation white house in Orlando, FL.
His music has also been featured at the Alba Music Festival in Italy.As a multi-hyphenate creative, Robert draws inspiration from a variety of sources: writing character sketches of his roommates, harnessing the timelessness of Harlem Renaissance poetry or the spectacle of Group of Seven artwork, answering a call for scores for solo hammered dulcimer, and explaining engineering concepts through sound. Flow 1, his wind quintet about fluid mechanics anchored by its middle movement, Major Headloss, Esq., was written in 2022 for players of the Air Force Band of the West.Robert graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX with a BM in Music Composition and a BS in Engineering Science, studying with Prof. Alissa McCurtain & Dr. Brian Bondari for composition and Dr. Carolyn True for piano. Favorite composers and influences include Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, Rautavaara, Lili Boulanger, Qigang Chen, Aaron Jay Kernis, and At The Drive-In.On piano, he recently presented a solo recital featuring Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson's Scherzo, and his interpretations of Rautavaara and Atterberg have drawn honorable mention in the Trinity Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition. He also rang in the Trinity University Handbell Ensemble throughout his time in college and enjoys an ongoing compositional partnership with the group.When not making music, Robert can often be found playing or watching any sport (especially basketball, disc golf, or curling - the sport of his Canadian heritage), cooking, or designing a plastic injection molder for K-12 educational use.

GALLERY

piano

Robert Furuya has a fresh, dynamic voice on piano that he employs to lift up underplayed fascinations. As a concerto soloist, his interpretations of Einojuhani Rautavaara's Gift of Dreams and Kurt Atterberg's Piano Concerto drew recognition in the Trinity Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition. He is also an experienced accompanist (vocal, choral, and instrumental), orchestral player, and chamber collaborator.

Teaching

(under construction)

Teaching

I am a second-generation piano teacherThanks to my multifaceted background, I incorporate music history, theory, physics, mechanicsI aim to help my students play naturally to minimize tension and injury risk
cultivate excitement for various styles of music
Understand how things work and develop critical thinking
Listen to the piano - own ears as teachersI am also available as a tutor for music history, theory, ear training, aural skills, or counterpoint.

Contact

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