Michael Robinson was born on March 3rd 1933. He started his academic career teaching Harmony and Counterpoint at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music, Glasgow, 1960-61, then moved to a lectureship at Durham University, 1961-65. He was subsequently Associate Professor of Music at McGill University, Montreal, and then Senior Lecturer at the University of Cardiff, where he became Professor of Music from 1991-94. Following his retirement he was made Emeritus Professor at Cardiff University in 1995. 

Worklist:
Although better known for his publications about music of the past (especially eighteenth-century Italian opera), he has composed steadily over many years. His compositions include:

Sonata Movement for viola and pianoforte (1960)
Incidental music to Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s play The Visit (1963)
‘A child’s vision of night’ for soprano and pianoforte (1964)
‘Six Fugues’ for harpsichord (1968)
Credo and Gloria for 4-pt choir and organ (1968)
String Quartet No 1 (1972)
String Quartet No 2 (1975)
‘Three Settings of Thomas Hardy’ for baritone and pianoforte (1975)
Duo for violin and pianoforte (1978)
‘Three Settings of W.B. Yeats’ for tenor and pianoforte (1979)
Duo for two pianos (1983)
‘A pretty how town’ (e.e.cummings) for baritone and 8 instrumentalists (1984)
‘Phoenix’ for oboe and pianoforte (1988)
‘Three songs about love’ for baritone and pianoforte (1994)
‘Two songs for Cherry Willingham’, for children’s voices and pianoforte (1995/97)
Fantasy for unaccompanied violoncello (1997)
‘Blessed art thou, O God’, anthem for double choir (2001)\
‘The House of Bernarda Alba’, opera in two acts (1997-2005)
‘A Welsh Garland’ for military wind band (2006)

Discography:
Several of these compositions are recorded on CD. CDs may be obtained through the composer at: Northridge House, Usk Rd, Shirenewton, Monmouthshire, NP16 6RZ.

Michael Robinson has lectured in American Universities in recent times about his compositions. Sections of his opera ‘The House of Bernarda Alba’ were given in concert form at Georgetown University, Washington, in April 2006.