Award-winning singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and published literary writer ROBERT URBAN is also owner/operator of Manhattan-based Urban Productions recording & music creation studio. Robert supports the NY tri-state area music community through producing & hosting his Urban Productions BOLDLY Presents live-in-concert series (now in its 7th year).

A much sought after session guitarist, accompanist, guest soloist, song arranger, record producer and sound engineer, Robert is also private music teacher & mentor for a variety of musical artists & arts organizations. He performs everywhere - in all manner of musical genres and styles - either solo or with his own progressive rock group The Robert Urban Band. Robert is also guitarist and vocalist - collaborating with other bands & musical artists - performing classic/covers and tributes of music and famous artists from 1960s up to the present.

Robert has composed scores & soundtracks for numerous professional dance, theater & film productions. In addition to his own 4 solo cd releases, Robert's work (especially as guitarist) can be heard on the recordings of many other musical artists. He is a contributing writer to several music/arts/culture publications.

Robert is author of the poetry book Abominations and contributing poet to various literary/poetry journals. He has been producer of, and reader at, live poetry events such as the NYC Bowery Bar’s QUEER INK; NYC Telephone Bar’s WE THREE PRODUCTIONS poetry series; Babylon, NY Pisces Café RAINBOW READING and the annual NYC FRESH FRUIT FESTIVAL.

In 2010, Robert's URBAN PRODUCTIONS won "Best of Business" award from the Small Business Commerce Association; and was voted "Producer-of-the-Year" award by voters at The Stonewall Society music awards.

Robert's other recent arts achievement awards include "Musician of the Year", "Outstanding Performer of the Year" and "Outstanding CD of the Year" awards from OUTMUSIC; "Producer of the Year", "Song of the Year", "Poetry Literary Achievement" and “LGBT Hall of Fame” awards from THE STONEWALL SOCIETY; "Best Performance", "Best Spirit" and "Best Event Producer" awards from the NYC FRESH FRUIT FESTIVAL.

Websites for Robert Urban:

www.myspace.com/roberturban

www.myspace.com/areyoubee

www.roberturban.com

Musical Biography:

Born and raised in Fairfield, CT, Robert's first musical instruments were flute and guitar. While in high school, his original band CARFAX (for which he also sang and wrote lyrics) placed fourth out of 195 bands in the statewide Connecticut Battle of the Bands.

Robert received a B.S. Degree in Philosophy and Music (cum laude) from the University of Bridgeport, Connecticut. His main musical instruments in college were flute and voice. While at school he distinguished himself by winning the university's concerto competition - performing the Quantz G Major Concerto for Flute with the Bridgeport Symphony. In his senior year, Robert auditioned for, and was accepted into the chorus of the Boston Opera under Sarah Cauldwell, and toured the U.S. with them in productions of Puccini's GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST and Verdi's MACBETH. Robert took graduate courses at Yale University and the New School for Social Research. At this time he appeared as guest conductor of the Yale Orchestra (conducting a performance of all nine movements of Beethoven's music for Egmont.). He also served as assistant conductor and first flutist for the Fairfield University Chamber Orchestra.

After college, Robert moved to Manhattan and worked for a time as a legit tenor in opera, song recital and musical theater. He studied voice with NY Metropolitan Opera singer/teacher Clarice Carson. He sang leading roles in NYC productions of all 14 Gilbert & Sullivan operas; four Victor Herbert operettas; two Sigmund Romberg operettas; and many productions of The Merry Widow (including several in Central Park with the Naumberg Orchestra). He sang on radio commercials for NYC classical radio station WQXR and plays flute on the infamous Broadway's Greatest Flops album.

All the while Robert has also remained true to his rock roots - performing and recording with his own original progressive rock band - The Robert Urban Band. In fact, throughout his life he has straddled both the “rock” and the “classical” sides of music recording and performance art. Robert regularly records and performs his unique arrangements of both vocal and instrumental “classical” chamber music. He is especially drawn towards more modern and “twentieth century” art songs of composers such as Charles Ives, Gustav Holst, Benjamin Britten and Claude Debussy. He blends his classical art song recitals with rock and folk song sources - including his own original compositions - and gives serious “classical” attention to a wide variety of “pop” artists ranging from Joni Mitchell to Jimi Hendrix to Led Zeppelin to The Beatles - as well as many other British Invasion, late-60s Psychedelia, punk, glam, new wave, grunge, and even disco musical artists. Robert's own CD releases include his unique guitar-based arrangements of “classical” works including the art songs “Serenity”, “Elegie” and “The Cage” by Charles Ives; the first movement of Albert Roussel's “Serenade for Flute, Violin, Viola, Cello and Harp”; and the final “Louange…” movement from Oliver Messiaen's “Quartet for the End of Time”.

Robert regularly creates special music for special occasions. Highlights include: In 1996, he was commissioned to compose a song for e.e. cummings's poem “when god let's my body be” - which he performed at the official e.e. cummings Centennial Celebration held at the NY Public Library. His award-winning anthem “The Waiting Song” won “Pride Song of the Year” by the Stonewall Society and is featured in the 2003 documentary film One Story, Many Voices: 15 Years of Pride, commissioned by the Michigan Pride Organization. In 2007, Robert flew to Paris, France - invited by the International Jeff Buckley Tribute Committee - and performed Jeff Buckley's arrangement of Benjamin Britten's art song, “Corpus Christi Carol” in concert at the Jeff Buckley Tribute Concert at the Paris Hard Rock Café.

Robert has composed music for a variety of films, including the internationally released film-documentary Ticket to Freedom - Woodstock (also featuring original songs by Richie Havens); the independent gay art-film Paradise Attempted, produced by Resolute Pictures, Inc. (also featuring music by Enya); THR Productions horror flicks Dead Guys (2002), Das Haus (2003), ZOMBIES (2004) and Camp Slaughter (2006). In 2007 Robert wrote the soundtrack and theme song for the film documentary Bridging the Gap - about the Florida Special Needs Color Guard.

In 2007, Robert produced & arranged the song “What's Your Name” for singer/songwriter Roger Kuhn. Robert also appears in the rock video for the song, which enjoyed 5 weeks in the top ten on MTV LOGO's NewNowNext Click List. See the “What's Your Name” video at www.worldofrogerkuhn.com - that's Robert playing the black Les Paul electric guitar.

There are four Robert Urban CDs available - the 1997 critically acclaimed “godless”, the year 2000 Millenium release ELEGIES, the 1980's retrospective who i was (also released in 2000), and the 2004 ROCK WIDOW. All are available at WWW.CDBABY.COM