ROBERT RANKIN (b. 1994) is a composer who grew up in North Carolina and now lives in Bloomington, IN. Hailed as “one of the nation’s brightest and most talented emerging composers” (Fort Wayne Philharmonic), Robert’s music draws on a wide range of influences to create intense, intricate and expressive works.
Robert has been commissioned and performed by various ensembles, music festivals, and solo artists including the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Illinois Philharmonic, Durham Symphony, the Empyrean Saxophone Quartet, the Lux Quartet, Split The Lark, pianist Kevin Madison, and numerous high school and college wind ensembles across the country.
He has received awards and honors from organizations including Tribeca New Music, the Greater Bridgeport Symphony Orchestra, Northwestern University, the Society of Composers Inc., and the American Composers Orchestra. Robert has attended the Atlantic Music Festival (2014) and the Brevard Music Center (2016, 17) where he worked with Robert Aldridge and David Dzubay both as composer and teaching assistant.
Upcoming performances in the 2020-21 season include the premiere of Deep State, commissioned by a consortium led by saxophonist Derek Granger, the world premiere of No Name In The Street commissioned by the Durham Symphony Orchestra, and the premiere of Make Them Dance written for the Illinois Philharmonic as part of their 2020 Classical Evolve concerts.
Robert’s education includes a degree in music education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a masters degree in composition from Indiana University studying with Don Freund and Claude Baker. Currently, he is pursuing his doctorate and is an associate instructor in composition at Indiana University studying with Eugene O’Brien.
Works are self-published by R. H. Rankin Music (BMI).
Selected wind ensemble works published by Murphy Music Press.