Robin Harrison (pianist) facts for kids

Robin Keith Harrison (born July 28, 1932 – died May 19, 2013) was a talented musician from Canada. He was born in Britain. He was well-known as a composer, which means he wrote music, and as a pianist, someone who plays the piano. For more than 20 years, he led the piano department at the University of Saskatchewan. He recorded several albums of classical music. He also played many times as a special guest with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra.

Music Journey

Robin Harrison was born in North London in 1932. His dad was an engineer, and his mom stayed home. As a child, Robin loved playing the piano. He would often peek into neighbors' windows to see if they had a piano. Then, he would ask if he could come in and play!

When he was eight, his parents finally bought him his own piano. He started taking lessons right away. By age ten, he was already performing for people. In 1949, when he was a teenager, he won a talent competition in London. He played a very difficult piece called Piano Sonata No. 32 by Beethoven. He was even invited to play many times on a famous BBC radio show called Children's Hour.

Robin received a special scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music. There, he learned from a great pianist named Harold Craxton. He also studied with other famous teachers like Carlo Zecchi in Rome and Salzburg, and Ilona Kabos in London.

In the late 1960s, Robin was very busy teaching and performing in Britain. But he wanted a more secure job. So, he took a position at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. He moved to Saskatoon with his wife and four children. At the university, he taught piano and the history of opera. He also taught a very popular class called music appreciation.

He continued to perform as well. In 1984, he gave a solo performance at Carnegie Hall, a very famous concert venue in New York City. He was also invited many times to play on CBC Radio broadcasts. Robin also wrote his own music. This included a piece for piano called Bagatelle and music for poems by Christina Rossetti.

Family Life

Robin had four children with his first wife, Eva. After she passed away in 1977, he married Marilyn. Marilyn had five children of her own. At one point, they had eight children living with them!

After Robin retired from the university in 1994, he and Marilyn moved to Margaree Forks, Nova Scotia. He still continued to teach and perform music. In 2008, he moved to British Columbia to be closer to a piano teacher named Rachel Anderson. They got married in 2011, and she became his third wife. Robin and Rachel often played piano duets together at concerts in western Canada and the United States.

Robin Keith Harrison passed away in Burnaby, British Columbia, on May 19, 2013. He was 80 years old.