Robert Davine facts for kids

Robert Davine (born Aubrey Robert Davine; April 5, 1924 – November 25, 2001) was a famous concert accordion player. He was also a professor of accordion and music theory. He taught at the University of Denver's Lamont School of Music.

For 30 years, he led the Accordion Department there. He helped create one of the first college programs in the U.S. for advanced accordion studies in the 1950s. Robert Davine played 20th-century classical music with big orchestras and small chamber groups. His performances showed that the accordion could be a great instrument for concert halls.

Robert Davine's Life Story

Early Life and Learning Music

Robert Davine started learning music on the piano when he was very young. He first saw an accordion when he was ten years old. In the 1930s, he met an accordion player who played for a Spanish dance group.

Seeing this unique instrument made young Robert very interested. This started his lifelong love for the accordion. As he got older, he often played popular music in school concerts.

His interest in classical music grew during his last years of high school. He learned about classical music pieces that were rewritten for other instruments. Soon after, he took private lessons with famous accordion players and composers. These teachers included Joseph Biviano, Robert Delaney, and John Serry in New York City.

While studying trumpet at Northwestern University, a Belgian violinist encouraged him. This person helped him see how the accordion could fit into chamber music groups. Davine earned both his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Music degrees in Chicago, Illinois, from Northwestern University.

His Amazing Music Career

In the 1950s, Robert Davine started the Accordion Department at the Lamont School of Music. He created and led an advanced course for students to become concert accordion performers. He married his wife, Jacqueline, in 1954.

During this time, he also performed in Chicago with the famous cellist Ennio Bolognini. He was also asked to join the Mantovani Orchestra on its first U.S. tour. Davine also worked as a staff musician for WGN radio in Chicago.

By 1969, Robert Davine was known around the world for his musical talent. He went to Paris to lead a summer program. This program taught classical accordion and chamber music at the Paris American Academy.

His fame spread beyond Europe to Asia. In 1984, he was one of the first music experts from America invited to China. The Chinese Musicians Association asked him to help create a modern accordion teaching program.

Davine noticed that the accordion was very popular in China. It had even survived the Cultural Revolution because it was used to play traditional revolutionary songs. During his concert tour, Davine played modern 20th-century music from America and Europe. He also taught special classes on modern accordion playing. He shared his ideas about modern music theory from the Western world.

Davine kept teaching at the Lamont School of Music through the 1980s and 1990s. He played classical pieces by composers like David Diamond and Matyas Seiber. He also performed new pieces for accordion for the first time. These were written by composers such as Normand Lockwood.

He also studied the Tango and made a list of composers and their accordion works. In 1999, the University of Denver gave him its Distinguished Teaching Award. This was to honor his music and his talent for teaching many students. In 1997, his old university, Northwestern, also honored him.

Robert Davine's musical interests went beyond the university. As a concert artist, he played with many famous groups. These included the Denver Symphony Orchestra, the Mantovani Orchestra, and the Aspen Music Festival Orchestra. He also played for the NBC network in Denver and the WGN network in Chicago.

As a professor at the Lamont School of Music, he played six to eight concerts each year. One of his own musical pieces is called Divertimento for Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon and Accordion.

His Passing

Robert Davine passed away on November 25, 2001.

Robert Davine's Musical Works

Robert Davine wrote some original pieces and also rewrote classical music for the accordion.

• Divertimento for Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon and Accordion.

Robert Davine's Recordings

Robert Davine recorded several albums. He was part of the Montavani Orchestra in the 1950s. Here are some of his other albums:

• Robert Davine Accordion with the Lamont String Quartet and James Carroll String Bass - Snow Records (1979)
• The Concert Accordion Artistry of Robert Davine - Crystal Records (1995)
• Tango!: The Spirit of Argentina - ASV/Living Era/White Line (2005)