Rob Waring

Rob Waring, originally from New York, settled in Oslo in 1981. Since then he has been a central figure within contemporary music and jazz as a vibraphonist, percussionist and composer. He is Associate Professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music where he teaches classical percussion and jazz vibraphone. I 2019 he introduced the elective course "Balinese Gamelan" at the Academy, where students get hands-on experience playing traditional Balinese music, and insight into the music's basic theoretical principles. Rob stayed in Bali for 4 months in 2002 to study Balinese music. That experience has been, and still is, a huge source of inspiration. Both as composer and performer, Rob has collaborated with musicians and ensembles that represent a broad spectrum of styles and approaches to music. He has composed commissioned works for chamber ensembles, choirs and soloists, created electroacoustic music and built a sound installation with 64 computer-controlled loudspeakers. He recently did a recording for ECM Records with a quartet led by saxophonist John Surman. With vibraphonist David Friedman, Rob has made a duo recording which is being released this spring. Rob has collaborated with Sisu Percussion Trio over many years. A new piece which he composed for them during the pandemic will be premiered in the fall of 2023.