Peter Robinson was born in the North-East of England and studied music at Oxford‚ where he was Organ Scholar of St. John’s College. He began his operatic career as Chorus Master at Glyndebourne‚ followed by several years as Resident Conductor and Head of Music Staff for Opera Australia at the Sydney Opera House. He then joined ENO as Assistant Music Director‚ where his repertoire includes The Mastersingers of Nuremburg‚ Otello‚ Rigoletto‚ Carmen‚ Orfeo‚ Hansel & Gretel‚ The Turn of the Screw‚ and all the major Mozart operas.
Recent and future plans include The Mikado at ENO‚ Manon Lescaut‚ Zazà‚ Fidelio‚ La Wally‚ Falstaff‚ Wolf-Ferrari’s I Gioielli della Madonna and L’amore dei tre re with Opera Holland Park‚ L'occasione fa il ladro, The Rape of Lucretia and The Bartered Bride with British Youth Opera‚ a Triple Bill of La Navarraise‚ Le Portrait de Manon and Comedy on the Bridge at the Guildhall School as well as Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi at the Royal Academy of Music.
He is invited back to Australia regularly as guest conductor for all the major opera companies and symphony orchestras and recent performances have included Aida‚ Lucia di Lammermoor‚ La Fanciulla del West‚ Cosi fan tutte and Romeo & Juliette. He has also appeared in Canada‚ Mexico‚ Hong Kong and Italy and conducted for Scottish Opera‚ Kent Opera and Opera Factory London. For television he has conducted Jonathan Miller’s productions of The Mikado and Cosi fan tutte and‚ for Channel 4‚ The Marriage of Figaro.
In the concert hall‚ he has conducted most of the major British orchestras‚ including the LSO‚ LPO‚ RPO‚ Hallé and BBC Philharmonic‚ and appears regularly in concerts and broadcasts with the BBC Concert Orchestra.
During a long collaboration with Raymond Gubbay and David Freeman‚ Peter Robinson conducted Madam Butterfly‚ Tosca‚ Aida and Carmen at the Royal Albert Hall. In recent seasons he has appeared in concert with the Queensland‚ Royal Philharmonic‚ BBC Concert and Northern Sinfonia Orchestras. Most recent engagements include The Marriage of Figaro for West Australian Opera‚ Madam Butterfly‚ Romeo and Juliet‚ Andrea Chenier‚ La bohéme‚ Turandot and La Traviata with Opera Queensland‚ Die Zauberflöte with Opera Zuid in Holland‚Falstaff at Scottish Opera‚ La Gioconda‚ Un Ballo in Maschera‚ L’amore dei tre re‚ Rigoletto‚ Fidelio‚ Luisa Miller and Andrea Chénier with Opera Holland Park‚ and Madam Butterfly and Carmen Royal Albert Hall.
He teaches and coaches singers regularly at the National Opera Studio‚ the Guildhall School of Music and Drama‚ The Royal Academy and Royal College of Music and at the Jette Parker Young Artists’ Programme at the Royal Opera. Peter has had a long association with British Youth Opera‚ for whom he was Artistic Director for 8 years. In this time he has conducted many operas for the company‚ including The Magic Flute‚ Eugene Onegin‚ Roméo et Juliette‚ The Rape of Lucretia‚ La Rondine‚ Albert Herring‚ The Rake’s Progress‚ La Bohème‚ The Bartered Bride and Paul Bunyon. In 2012 he conducted a concert at Cadogan Hall‚ featuring the English Chamber Orchestra and BYO Alumni‚ in a concert celebrating the company’s 25th anniversary.
Supervisé attentivement par le chef d’orchestre Peter Robinson, le jeune ensemble Southbank Sinfonia respecte la partition avec finesse. Les chœurs sont eux aussi impliqués et à l’écoute des autres, formant une équipe complice au service de la narration.
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Supervised carefully by the conductor Peter Robinson, the young Southbank Sinfonia ensemble respects the score with finesse. The choruses are also involved and listening to others, forming an accomplice team at the service of storytelling.
Olyrix (September 2019)
If, in my heart of hearts, I might prefer a few more strings for Puccini, I could hardly fault the City of London Sinfonia under Peter Robinson, and do not wish to try...Robinson and his players pointed up nicely the character of each act, permitting one’s ears to draw all manner of connections between Puccini’s roots, his future, and his influence and affinities. Wagner loomed increasingly large, but so did devices Puccini would adopt more successfully in subsequent works, as well as sounds one might have thought stolen from Debussy, Stravinsky, even Poulenc – save for the fact that, if anything, it must have been the other way around.
Seen and Heard International (June 2019)
Peter Robinson’s energetic conducting of the score paid off in the second half, particularly in the silkiness of the intermezzo...
Bachtrack (June 2019)
Peter Robinson conducted the City of London Sinfonia: the intermezzo before the third act was played with agreeable velvet smoothness.
The Telegraph (June 2019)
And Peter Robinson’s baton brings some real sweetness from the City of London Sinfonia...
Under Peter Robinson's baton, the City of London Sinfonia play Puccini's wonderful music with real élan, especially in Acts Three and Four as the stakes are raised and passions rise. It really is worth the price of the ticket to hear that music played with such sympathy and power, up close and personal.
The Reviews Hub (June 2019)
Peter Robinson conducted the City of London Sinfonia in a reduced version of Puccini's score, though reduced in this context still means double woodwind and two horns, two trumpets and two trombones, which was plenty for a theatre without a pit. We still got plenty of luxuriant tone, with those melodies propelling the drama along, and the Intermezzo forming the emotional heart of the piece.
The results were full of impulse, drama and passion thanks to fine performances from Peter Robinson and the cast.
Planet Hugill (June 2019)
Opera Holland Park’s new production, which opened the 2019 season, caught the mood of hope and despair with a hardworking cast, terrific chorus and some eloquent orchestral playing from the resident City of London Sinfonia, under the baton of Peter Robinson.
The Guardian (June 2019)
Robinson’s reading had a symphonic sweep that outstripped its numerical modesty as 43 players sounded like twice the number...
Opera Magazine (August 2019)
Peter Robinson drew loving attention to much detail in the score regularly missed by less observant conductors‚ and both orchestral and choral standards were impressively high.
Opera Magazine (October 2018)
The DO Orchestra under Peter Robinson gave one of the strongest performances I have heard from them; quality of playing was generally high and the noticeable absence of significant flaws in the brass was to be commended. Robinson’s reading was lush and dynamic; a highly enjoyable Bohème indeed.
BachTrack (July 2018)
The Lacrymosa (conducted here by Peter Robinson) is a terrific B flat minor dialogue between the woodwind and mezzo.
Lark Reviews (August 2017)
Peter Robinson conducted Leoncavallo’s multi-jewelled orchestral canvas with splendid judgment and balance – the players of the City of London Sinfonia bravely weathered the elements and the chorus gave their all.
Critics Circle (July 2017)
The City of London Sinfonia and Opera Holland Park Chorus under Peter Robinson are as dependable as ever‚ with some lovely woodwind playing...
Culture Whisper (July 2017)
Like many operas by members of the giovane scuola‚ the opera’s default position was a melodic orchestral texture with dialogue above‚ and under Peter Robinson’s direction the City of London Sinfonia drew out the beauties of Leoncavallo’s rather luxuriant score.
Planet Hugill (July 2017)
Conductor Peter Robinson steered the whole evening with real confidence‚ the orchestra delivering‚ as always‚ fully-fledged belief in the red-blooded verismo repertory.
Seen & Heard International (July 2017)
The City of London Sinfonia under conductor Peter Robinson brings out the lushness of the score...
The Express (July 2017)
Conductor Peter Robinson gets the tricky mix of glitz‚ sadness and sensuality exactly right.
The Guardian (July 2017)
Peter Robinson’s expert conducting is a reminder that Leoncavallo was a resourceful orchestrator as well as a dependable librettist.
The Independent (July 2017)
Conductor‚ Peter Robinson’s sensitive Act 3 opening and his well-paced reading of the ensuing scenes truly unveiled his finesse and the City of London Sinfonia’s potential.
The Opera Critic (July 2017)
French settings seem to bring out the best in verismo composers and Peter Robinson‚ conducting‚ finds the authentic Massenet-Chabrier belle époque glitter‚ forever just one beat away from slipping into a waltz.
The Spectator (July 2017)
Peter Robinson’s sensitive conducting honours the evanescent fragrances of Leoncavallo’s skillful orchestration...
The Telegraph (July 2017)
Thanks to the City of London Sinfonia‚ conducted into full Italianate sumptuousness by Peter Robinson‚ the score’s proto-Hollywood flavour came through as persuasively as Leoncavallo’s tense tenderness when Zazà encounters Milio’s daughter‚ Totò (a delightful performance by young Aida Ippolito in this spoken role). What a scene that is! If the opera’s opening flourish of four rising notes betokens high romance‚ its instant quietening thereafter suggests a corrective shot of realism. When it comes‚ the child is its catalyst.
What’s On Stage (July 2017)
The conductor Peter Robinson maintained a light touch as he delivered a taut account of an entertainment that deserves to be far better known that it currently is.
Opera Magazine (November 2016)
Williamson’s music‚ at least here‚ probably has too much facility for its own good‚ to the extent you wonder where his real voice is among all the accomplished pastiche‚ but the instrumental septet from Southbank Sinfonia (electric keyboard covering for piano and harpsichord) played it with style under Peter Robinson’s scrupulous guidance.
Classical Source (September 2016)
...the overall performance under Peter Robinson’s sure control is first rate.
The Guardian (September 2016)
City of London Sinfonia in blazing form under Peter Robinson... Peter Robinson’s conducting was minimalist but surprisingly effective‚ aside from some early bumpiness in the brass. In particular‚ he let the last act really flow‚ building tension while maintaining an excellent balance between pit and stage.
Opera Magazine (October 2016)
Peter Robinson and the City of London Sinfonia certainly weren’t lacking in verve or energy in bringing us Tchaikovsky’s high calibre romanticism...
BachTrack (August 2016)
No-less-fine is the playing of the City of London Sinfonia‚ doing justice to dark-hued woodwind and baleful brass‚ with cellos having that resigned eloquence Tchaikovsky so intuitively deploys. Peter Robinson conducts with a tangible feeling for the cumulative dramatic impact.
Classical Source (Classical Source)
Peter Robinson conducts the City of London Sinfonia to great effect...
MusicOMH (August 2016)
Conductor Peter Robinson did a fine job in the pit‚ with the City of London Sinfonia continuing the standards heard at the season opening.
Seen & Heard International (August 2016)
The opening scene — even more strongly influenced by Carmen than Onegin is — is brought to life‚ and thanks to the spirited conducting of Peter Robinson it manages to create an atmosphere without seeming merely to mark time.
The Spectator (August 2016)
The City of London Sinfonia under conductor Peter Robinson gives an impassioned performance
The Express (August 2016)
Robinson conducts with considerable drive and energy‚ nicely judging the score’s neurotic edge...
The Guardian (August 2016)
Holding them together with seasoned aplomb was that under-used pro of a conductor Peter Robinson‚ leading the City of London Sinfonia through the score’s Gothic spookiness as well as its Tsarist splendour and romantic ardour.
The Telegraph (August 2016)
The City of London Sinfonia is conducted by Peter Robinson; he sets off in such a hurry that the lusty chorus sometimes fall behind‚ but the orchestra unfurls Tchaikovsky’s creepy melodies with authority‚ and the score’s purple-black textures are painted with relish. A frightful success.
The Times (August 2016)
Still‚ it’s difficult not to get swept up in the work’s waves of earnest passion‚ especially‚ as here‚ given the total commitment of the company: this was Opera Holland Park doing what it does best. It was all held together by Peter Robinson’s red-blooded conducting of the excellent City of London Sinfonia: expertly controlled and unapologetic‚ it provided ideal advocacy for a fascinating and often thrilling slice of operatic history
Opera Magazine (October 2015)
Imagine a sort of Italianate version of Wagner‚ albeit without the catchy leitmotifs: there’s a lot of powerful brass‚ there are clever combinations of brass and woodwind‚ a huge variety of string effects‚ plenty of variations in tempo‚ all of this within a particularly Italian melodic sweep. Conducted by Peter Robertson‚ the orchestra played with energy‚ putting across a lot of the detail and maintaining the prevailingly dark‚ tense mood
BachTrack (July 2015)
In charge of a suitably expanded City of London Sinfonia‚ Peter Robinson brought clarity and conviction to an orchestral component ranking highly among those Italian operas which took on board the extended harmonic and tonal expression made possible by Debussy and Richard Strauss in the preceding decade...this revival of L’amore dei tre Re is a resounding success
Classical Source (July 2015)
Subtle it ain’t‚ and Peter Robinson’s red-blooded conducting of the City of London Sinfonia wisely doesn’t try to persuade us otherwise. But it’s a fascinating and often thrilling slice of operatic history that’s well worth catching
Financial Times (July 2015)
Montemezzi’s music contrasts the most overwhelming passages with times when the singers are accompanied by the merest ‘whisper’ of sound. Peter Robinson’s otherwise excellent conducting occasionally allows the soloists to be swamped in the former moments‚ but he and the City of London Sinfonia positively relish a score that one minute sounds a little like Gianni Schicchi (written four years later) and the next is portraying the final breaths of the strangled Fiora through increasingly diminished pizzicato strings
MusicOMH (July 2015)
The City of London Sinfonia‚ under conductor Peter Robinson‚ is in cracking form
Sunday Express (July 2015)
Conductor Peter Robinson demonstrates the score’s striking colour and constant dramatic momentum‚ while the City of London Sinfonia plays marvellously for him
The Stage (July 2015)
Montemezzi’s astringent overture sets up an evening of breathtaking orchestrations. They’re never afraid to flirt with vulgarity (much like the piece as a whole) and the sound from the pit makes you want to eat it up. A trumpet plays over rippling flutes; cutting solo moments for harp give way to keening woodwind dissonances‚ and some fabulous offstage fanfares are picked up seamlessly by the splendid City of London Sinfonia. As for the urbane Peter Robinson‚ he may look bespectacled and benign but he conducts the hell out of the opera’s wild‚ thrashing orgasms and their placid afterglow
What’s On Stage (July 2015)
...it was the orchestra and the main trio of voices that turned a competent performance into an outstanding one‚ with Robinson conjuring pace‚ humour‚ lilt and an almost jazzy feel from the orchestra to produce true joie de vivre
BachTrack (November 2014)
Robinson and the orchestra were perhaps on finer form still‚ that glistening orchestral brilliance to which I alluded married to an unerring sense of dramatic direction
Seen & Heard International (November 2014)
...the playing is exuberant under conductor Peter Robinson
The Times (November 2014)
Under the watchful eyes of Peter Robinson‚ the orchestra was on particularly fine form: delicate and gentle as it follows the nuns through their rituals and their relationships with each other and the convent hierarchy
BachTrack (November 2014)
...a few more strings would have helped. However‚ they were few and far between‚ and‚ if I have heard more symphonic Puccini‚ especially earlier on‚ than Peter Robinson’s‚ he was always attentive to the action. Moreover‚ the final scene’s emotional impact flowed as much from the tauntingly gorgeous orchestral sound as from Garland’s inspired performance (as Suor Angelica)
Seen & Heard International (November 2014)
Peter Robinson’s conducting was incisively balanced‚ with the City of London Sinfonia wringing any amount of tenderness and drama from Bellini’s amazingly simple harmonies and eloquent melodies
Opera Magazine (September 2014)
...this was production was excellent in most musical aspects. Under the baton of Peter Robinson‚ all of the different moods of Bellini’s score came through delightfully and perfectly weighted‚ ranging from highly dramatic punch to martial vigour to the fluid mysticity of the famous “Casta Diva”...This production excels orchestrally‚ is well acted throughout and has fine vocal performances from its two female leads. All this makes it well worth seeing
BachTrack (July 2014)
Bellini’s cumulative waves of musical emotion may develop more naturally over the run but‚ underpinned by Peter Robinson’s unfussy conducting of the City of London Sinfonia‚ the first night already built quite a frisson...it was great to hear the score presented with such detailed musical preparation and cohesive staging. The Chorus – in its singing and action – was committed and believable
Classical Source (July 2014)
Where Holland Park’s evening scores highly is in some of its central performances‚ and in the conducting of Peter Robinson‚ who leads the City of London Sinfonia in a reading that lacks nothing in impetus while keeping faith with the nuances of Bellini’s style
The Guardian (July 2014)
Vocally this was a thrilling evening supported by fine playing from the City of London Sinfonia under the baton of Peter Robinson
Mark Ronan (July 2014)
Peter Robinson’s conducting of the City of London Sinfonia is exceptional while the Opera Holland Park Chorus is in fine form‚ blowing the audience away as they stand in one long line‚ their faces positively glowing
MusicOMH (July 2014)
Peter Robinson kept a tight grip on proceedings throughout the evening. The opening of the overture was arresting and charged and the transition to the more lyrical material was seamless. The flute solo during Casta Diva was exquisite while I loved the sense of emotional turmoil conjured by the strings in the duet between Adalgisa and Pollione. The militaristic number in Act 2 was well handled as one became caught up in the jingoistic fervour of the townsfolk. The Chorus of Opera Holland Park were very strong in the vocal ensembles
Seen & Heard International (July 2014)
Sturdily conducted by Peter Robinson‚ the cast keeps calm and carries on in the face of the manifold challenges proposed by the score
The Telegraph (July 2014)
The production is a high point of the OHP season‚ with all the singers and the City of London Sinfonia on fine form under conductor Peter Robinson
The Oxford Times (July 2014)
Peter Robinson’s conducting is lively and flexible...The City of London Sinfonia plays with spirit; the OHP chorus sings with its customary passion
The Spectator (July 2014)
Other than the two main female roles‚ what anchors this production is the orchestral playing under Peter Robinson: lovingly balanced‚ naturally paced and showcasing a body of warm‚ burnished strings
The Stage (July 2014)
The City of London Sinfonia plays with great style under Peter Robinson‚ a conductor who understands exactly how to use rubato
The Times (July 2014)
Peter Robinson shaped a vibrant account of the score and drew sparkling playing from the City of London Sinfonia. Together they gave it their customary all‚ despite the limited ambition of Bellini’s repeated broken chords and rum-ti-tum orchestrations
What’s On Stage (July 2014)
The Southbank Sinfonia‚ conducted by Peter Robinson‚ provided a sharply defined orchestral commentary‚ making the most of the striking scoring
Opera Magazine (November 2013)
Peter Robinson thoughtfully conducted the excellent Southbank Sinfonia‚ the eleven-year-old orchestra of young musicians based at St John’s Waterloo. These musicians enhanced what was the production’s best feature – its young performers‚ who delivered every note with vibrancy and eager freshness
BachTrack (September 2013)
...the quality of singing and acting is consistently‚ inspiringly high – beginning with the professional touch of conductor Peter Robinson
Financial Times (September 2013)
Peter Robinson’s lucid conducting shows that though the score may be uneven‚ there are enough moments – a scrap of melody here‚ an effortlessly brilliant touch of orchestration there – when Britten’s genius can’t help but show itself‚ hinting at what would come just a few years later
The Guardian (September 2013)
Conductor Peter Robinson martialled his large vocal forces with aplomb and directed the Southbank Sinfonia with a sympathetic ear for all the different cultural references in the score. The result was lively and convincing
Planet Hugill (September 2013)
The conductor Peter Robinson drew spry playing from the Southbank Sinfonia
The Telegraph (September 2013)
Conductor Peter Robinson and the Southbank Sinfonia give the cast sterling support and make the most of the score’s distinctive timbre (heavy on winds‚ light on strings)
The Times (September 2013)
In director Will Kerley and conductor Peter Robinson’s hands‚ this early stage work is an absolute treat and the perfect opportunity for a huge‚ and hugely-talented‚ British Youth Opera cast and creative team to mark the composer’s centenary year‚ while showing what they can do
What's on Stage (September 2013)
Peter Robinson did an impressive job keeping all the score’s diverse elements under control‚ while unleashing wild frenzy as and when it was required...All in all‚ a hugely enjoyable show
Opera Magazine (September 2013)
The expanded City of London Sinfonia (all those bells and whistles) and OHP chorus were on sparkling form all evening‚ with conductor Peter Robinson bringing out every bizarre colouration with relish
Musical Criticism (August 2013)
...the City of London Sinfonia‚ superbly conducted by Peter Robinson‚ excels‚ especially in the Introduction as the flute and harp alternate with the strings’ languishing melody
MusicOMH (August 2013)
...the City of London Sinfonia (conducted by Peter Robinson) – very nearly blew the roof off during the boisterous overture and first scene. This‚ coupled with an impressive percussion section and on-stage brass band‚ virtually left a dust-cloud in its wake
BachTrack (July 2013)
Wolf-Ferrari uses a varied and colourful orchestra‚ just big enough to fit OHP’s pit...There is no lack of extravagance: in addition to a standard full orchestra‚ Wolf-Ferrari requires two pianos‚ an accordion‚ guitar and mandolin‚ a harp‚ and a marching band. It all adds to the vibrancy of an imaginative and story-serving score‚ all well attended to by the City of London Sinfonia and Peter Robinson
Classical Source (July 2013)
Both the City of London Sinfonia and the company’s chorus are on top form‚ while Peter Robinson’s perceptive conducting reveals the genuine quality of the best parts of an uneven score
The Guardian (July 2013)
...conductor Peter Robinson encourages the City of London Sinfonia to match the plot for dynamic extremes...the orchestra (with added guitar‚ mandolin and accordion) are excellent‚ and there’s a particularly pleasing friction between the euphemising beauty of the music that opens Act II and the coarse onstage action
Independent (July 2013)
In the orchestra pit‚ Peter Robinson gave a lively account of Wolf-Ferrari’s rather uneven score
Mark Ronan (July 2013)
The City of London Sinfonia under the baton of Peter Robinson kept up the intensity throughout and‚ for once had a chance to rival the stars on stage
Opera Britannia (July 2013)
The City of London Sinfonia were similarly on fine form‚ and there were far more of them too. In the pit‚ Peter Robinson showed a deft skill at keeping his large forces on track whilst bringing out the passion and energy of Wolf-Ferrari’s score
Planet Hugill (July 2013)
...the novelty value is only part of the story in Martin Lloyd-Evans’s illuminating production. Evans and conductor Peter Robinson create a propulsive flow across the entire first act‚ with its giddying merry-go-round of crowd scenes‚ fuelled by a large‚ full-blooded chorus...The expanded City of London Sinfonia not only makes a huge sound but plays with vivid colouring. All round‚ this could be one of the operatic highlights of the year
The Stage (July 2013)
...conducted by Peter Robinson with no holds barred
Telegraph (July 2013)
With the City of London Sinfonia playing their hearts out under the excitingly paced direction of Peter Robinson‚ with Opera Holland Park’s huge chorus supplemented by the children of W11 Opera‚ with a virtuoso dancer in Kelly Ewins and a strong cast‚ the show yielded long and loud ovations in Holland Park‚ drowning out passing peacocks‚ dogs and thunderclaps
The Times (July 2013)
I’ve never seen so many people on the Holland Park stage at one go‚ nor as large an orchestra - the City of London Sinfonia - under Peter Robinson’s baton. And what a sound they all produce: lush‚ Wagnerian‚ suddenly vulgar and strident‚ then tumultuous and impassioned
What's on Stage (July 2013)
The singers form a strong ensemble‚ while conductor Peter Robinson delivers all three shows with stylistic assurance
The Guardian (November 2012)
The orchestra under Peter Robinson are well up to it
London Evening Standard (November 2012)
The orchestra‚ under Peter Robinson‚ gave a nice dramatic impetus to Massenet’s writing and nicely nocturnal during the orchestral interlude...As with the previous opera‚ Robinson kept things flowing. The results entertained and charmed as they were intended to...The orchestra seemed to be refreshed by Martinu’s rather different sound world‚ and seemed as if they were enjoying themselves. Peter Robinson kept the piece going at quite a lick and ensured that the comedy never palled. All in all‚ a delightful evening
Planet Hugill (November 2012)
BYO’s artistic director‚ Peter Robinson‚ presided over a high-spirited chorus and orchestra‚ which revelled in the brio of Smetana’s dancing rhythms and gorgeous tunes...
Opera Magazine (November 2012)
Supported by a beautifully balanced orchestra...
BachTrack (September 2012)
Under the direction of Peter Robinson‚ the action bowls along...
Evening Standard (September 2012)
The conductor‚ Peter Robinson‚ kept the tempo moving with good support from the Southbank Sinfonia
The Guardian (September 2012)
From the opening notes of the overture‚ you knew that conductor Peter Robinson had this opera under his skin. The overture was crisp‚ lively and incisive. The Southbank Sinfonia are not the Vienna Philharmonic and they did take time to find their form. But they responded well to Robinson’s direction and helped make the evening sparkle
Planet Hugill (September 2012)
With Peter Robinson’s conducting and the City of London Sinfonia’s playing gleefully Italianate‚ this Falstaff rounds off a strong OHP season
Telegraph Seven Magazine (August 2012)
Musically‚ this Falstaff is a treat. Under Peter Robinson’s stylish and idiomatic conducting the City of London Sinfonia made a lusher sound than it mustered for the recent Eugene Onegin‚ filling OHP’s unforgiving canopies with resonant Verdian splendour
Classical Source (July 2012)
Like the best of the company’s work‚ it is based on good ensemble work (a must for Falstaff of all operas) and an energy under conductor Peter Robinson that keeps it bowling along...
Financial Times (July 2012)
...it’s a brave piece of theatre and musically terrific‚ with beautiful conducting from Peter Robinson
The Guardian (July 2012)
Peter Robinson paced the orchestral narrative well‚ afforded a few more strings than last week’s Onegin‚ drawing warm playing from the City of London Sinfonia‚ flamboyant timpani rolls and a fine off-stage horn solo particularly noteworthy
Opera Britannia (July 2012)
Peter Robinson‚ conducting the City of London Sinfonia‚ brought out the Beethovian qualities of the score‚ particularly its tapestry of motifs. Textures were crisp and clear‚ from the woodwind trills during Sir John’s monologue on Honour to the staccato brass in the old rogue’s soliloquy of self-satisfaction‚ “Va vecchio John”‚ which built to an exultant conclusion. Verdian ‘labels’ such as Mistress Quickly’s curtsey were effectively shaped; there was some joyful woodwind playing in Act 1 Scene 2‚ accompanying the mischievous mirth of the Merry Wives and some fleet string spiccatos at start of bedroom scene. The small forces often garnered a surprisingly full tone
Opera Today (July 2012)
In the pit‚ the orchestra had a better night of it than they did for last week’s premiere of Onegin. A few more strings had been booked‚ which was a great help. The orchestra was still relatively small‚ but the tuttis never suffered‚ and conductor Peter Robinson was able to create all the havoc he needed for the bust ups and brawls‚ while always keeping the ensemble tightly controlled
Seen & Heard International (July 2012)
Vivid playing from the orchestra under Peter Robinson puts the seal on an outstanding company achievement
The Telegraph (July 2012)
Conductor Peter Robinson has a sure grasp of how this effervescent score should sound and he’s rewarded by glorious playing by the City of London Sinfonia
What's On Stage (July 2012)
Peter Robinson’s supportive conducting displayed his understanding of Britten’s score and singers’ needs
Opera Magazine (November 2011)
Conductor Peter Robinson delivers a taut account of the score‚ with the Southbank Sinfonia clean and observant in the pit
The Guardian (September 2011)
Conductor Peter Robinson kept the Southbank Sinfonia cool and alert
Independent on Sunday (September 2011)
...the Southbank Sinfonia’s pellucid playing under Peter Robinson’s expert baton provided them with an ideal frame
The Telegraph (September 2011)
Musically‚ there was much to enjoy: Peter Robinson clearly adores the score‚ which was lovingly played by the City of London Sinfonia
Opera Magazine (October 2011)
Conductor Peter Robinson gets the fiery City of London Sinfonia to produce big swoops and swirls of romantic color
Bloomberg (August 2011)
Peter Robinson’s suave conducting brought out some intriguing orchestral detail and kept the pace flowing
Classical Source (August 2011)
...the orchestra‚ under Peter Robinson‚ were fantastic
Evening Standard (August 2011)
...conductor‚ Peter Robinson‚ gave the City of London Sinfonia its head in Catalani’s fitfully inspiring music
Financial Times (August 2011)
...and there’s fine‚ shapely conducting from Peter Robinson. Provocative stuff‚ hugely recommended
The Guardian (August 2011)
Peter Robinson conducts with suitable swagger
Metro (August 2011)
Opera Holland Park’s orchestra were on top form‚ and amped up all the emotion in the music‚ adding a profound depth to the action on stage
Music OMH (August 2011)
The musical values were strong under Peter Robinson’s seasoned direction
The Times (August 2011)
Key to the evening’s success‚ however‚ was the City of London Sinfonia conducted by Peter Robinson. Catalani’s score is so much more than that aria; the orchestral introduction to Act III is a tender alpine flower‚ while that to Act IV has dramatic tension. Gellner’s declaration of love in Act I deserves to be better known‚ as well. Catalani can’t quite make his mind up about the style he writes in; there are Wagnerian touches early on‚ and some Austrian local colour in the merrymaking‚ but there are also elements of Italian verismo and a sparseness in orchestration later on‚ stripping down the score to its essentials. It doesn’t always hold together well‚ musically‚ but that’s no criticism of the orchestral performance‚ which was superb‚ especially the horns and trombones yodelling to each other across the pit
Opera Britannia (July 2011)
There’s a spirited performance of the score from the City of London Sinfonia under Peter Robinson
What's On Stage (July 2011)
...under the masterly baton of conductor‚ Peter Robinson‚ achieving a seamless blend with the vocals on stage
Media-Culture.com.au (May 2011)
...the Queensland Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Peter Robinson‚ were as usual‚ in top form
StageWhispers (May 2011)
Peter Robinson led the orchestra through the evening at a spanking pace...
Opera Magazine (May 2011)
...and conductor Peter Robinson keeps a firm grip on stage and pit
Camden New Journal (March 2011)
Conductor Peter Robinson maintains musical decorum amid the dramatic mayhem
The Guardian (March 2011)
The ENO orchestra‚ under Peter Robinson’s direction‚ treated the score as seriously as they would a grand opera seria‚ and it was refreshing to hear Sullivan’s beautiful melodies played with the respect and feeling they deserve...the interplay between the pit and the stage was excellent‚ with the orchestra unfailingly matching the energy of the performers on stage throughout each scene
MusicOMH (March 2011)
In the pit conductor Peter Robinson’s tempi tended towards the swift and he coaxed some elegant playing from the strings and a pleasing lightness of touch from the woodwind
Opera Britannia (March 2011)
Peter Robinson conducts on this occasion‚ giving a nicely detailed and light-touched account of the wonderful score. There were moments when I wish he’d encourage the orchestra to let its hair down‚ but more important was his consistent consideration of the singers’ need to communicate every syllable of Gilbert’s text
The Telegraph (March 2011)
Peter Robinson sets a dizzy tempo for the overture and sustains its energy throughout the evening‚ yet never at the expense of tonal colour and variety. The orchestra clearly relishes its night off from Wagner and Donizetti
What's On Stage (March 2011)
...this was a terrific revival‚ conducted with a fine ear for comic effect and dramatic timing by Peter Robinson
Classical Source (February 2011)
In the pit Peter Robinson delivers a slick account of Sullivan’s score
Londonist.com (February 2011)
The Queensland Symphony Orchestra‚ under Peter Robinson‚ demonstrated considerable skill in their performance of this piece
ABC Brisbane (October 2010)
Conductor Peter Robinson kept the tempi swift and the textures clean
Independent on Sunday (September 2010)
The second‚ almost more important factor that kept the show moving was the highly secure‚ idiomatic playing of the Southbank Sinfonia under BYO’s music director‚ Peter Robinson. Reduced orchestral forces almost always result in a leaner‚ less cushioned sound but on this occasion it was hard to hear that much was missing: the strings in particular had real‚ Italianate bloom to them and ensemble precision hardly faltered at any stage. Robinson set and maintained a lively pace but coordination between stage and pit was excellent‚ and his cast did exactly what he was asking of them. I liked his reading very much...the cast played well within the conventions they were set by the director‚ and kept a close eye on their conductor – in my book this all added up to a well-controlled‚ nicely balanced performance
Musical Criticism (September 2010)
Peter Robinson conducted the City of London Sinfonia though an idiomatic and theatrically sensitive account of the score. At first OHP’s acoustic made one feel that the string tone lacked body and mellowness although one’s ears soon adjusted – but in all other respects this was excellent playing. One particular moment now rests in the memory – the long pause Robinson left as the prison cells were opened and the occupants emerged before the music started. In that moment of silence one suddenly became aware of the voices of children playing outside in the park. The world and life goes on while terrible things are happening to people in secret. If anything was set to jolt one into realising the serious message of Beethoven’s opera then the sound of those innocent voices ‘offstage’ surely was it
Classical Source (July 2010)
...moments of great beauty‚ too; the overture moved along joyously‚ the strings swift and shimmering‚ especially at the thunderous ending. The woodwinds were on particularly fine form throughout‚ the oboe and clarinet sailing lyrically through Beethoven’s more whimsical passages...Mr. Robinson guided its beginning to bring out all the sublime feeling a good performance can evoke
Opera Britannia (July 2010)
Peter Robinson conducts a secure account of the score‚ with the chorus on terrific form. Overall‚ a wonderful evening
The Stage (July 2010)
Peter Robinson conducted the City of London Sinfonia with a firm grip on pace‚ and the chorus was one of OHP’s best
The Telegraph (July 2010)
Man of the match‚ though‚ is the conductor. Peter Robinson coaxes superb playing from the in-form City of London Sinfonia (doing such good work throughout the current season) and he shapes his reading with ideal attention to the needs of the drama. How secure these singers must feel at having such sensitive support. Time stands still during the daring pause – just this side of uncomfortable – that Robinson inserts before the rapt Act One quartet‚ ‘Mir ist so wunderbar’
What's on Stage (July 2010)
Peter Robinson and the excellent BYO orchestra matched the slick discipline of the staging
Opera Magazine (November 2009)
...Peter Robinson‚ who allows Stravinsky’s innumerable references to previous composers and earlier styles to resonate with meaningful impact
Guardian (September 2009)
In the pit there was smart work from the Southbank Sinfonia under Peter Robinson
Independent on Sunday (September 2009)
With Peter Robinson drawing an almost faultless performance in the pit from the Southbank Sinfonia‚ this was one of British Youth Opera’s finer hours of recent years
Opera Britannia (September 2009)
Peter Robinson conducted the City of London Sinfonia (which included a cembasso‚ a colourful‚ baying 19th-century precursor to the tuba) with middle-Verdian‚ melodramatic ferocity. The evening knocked spots off the recent‚ rather tame Ballo at Covent Garden
Opera Magazine (October 2009)
conductor Peter Robinson did a great job
Bloomberg (July 2009)
Peter Robinson keeps the City of London Sinfonia at a steady boil‚ with some lovely phrasing from the woodwind and an attractively oily cimbasso in the brass
Independent on Sunday (July 2009)
Peter Robinson conducted a gripping account of the work. A great evening of music-theatre
MusicOMH (July 2009)
It’s a rare opera conductor who can trust a singer’s instincts without swamping‚ interfering or pushing the pace. Peter Robinson‚ conducting Verdi’s La Traviata for Opera Queensland‚ gave his singers room to breathe. The enhanced acoustics in the Lyric Theatre sharpened the capacity to hear the soloists’ colours‚ the musical peaks‚ the twists and turns and subtleties. ...the audience was swiftly drawn into a sumptuous 19th-century house party
The Australian (May 2009)
The problems were immediately apparent: the precision of the Orchestra was decidedly inferior to what Peter Robinson had achieved in May for the company’s revival of La Traviata
Opera (December 2009)
Robinson’s expansive conducting admirably maintained the coordination between all concerned
Seen & Heard International (March 2009)
Peter Robinson elicits polished playing from the Royal Philharmonic
The Times (March 2009)
The Southbank Sinfonia presents the delicious result fluently under conductor Peter Robinson
The Guardian (September 2008)
The singers were admirably accompanied by the South Bank Sinfonia‚ playing Tony Burke’s reduced orchestration with an orchestra of twenty seven players. The South Bank Sinfonia is itself an organisation devoted to giving young professionals more experience. Conductor Peter Robinson was admirable both in the way that he gave the young singers space and encouragement‚ and in his shaping of Puccini’s melody lines
Music & Vision (September 2008)
Peter Robinson really knows how an opera like this should go - plenty of surging momentum and not too much delicacy
Opera (October 2008)
...a stylish performance from the orchestra under Peter Robinson.
Independent on Sunday (August 2008)
Peter Robinson conducted the City of London Sinfonia with a firm hand and relished the spine-tingling big moments.
The Telegraph (July 2008)
Peter Robinson really knows how an opera like this should go - plenty of surging momentum and not too much delicacy
Opera (October 2008)
Such energy as there is in Scottish Opera’s new staging of Falstaff also comes from the pit‚ where that unsung virtuoso of the baton‚ Peter Robinson‚ gloriously illuminates the many colours of Verdi’s vibrant score while shaping its architecture with seasoned good taste.
Observer (May 2008)
It was full of fine touches‚ bound together by Peter Robinson’s vivacious‚ light-footed conducting.
The Herald (May 2008)
With a dive from the high springboard‚ the conductor Peter Robinson launched Verdi’s final opera into brisk motion. He kept the momentum to the end. The orchestra loved it.
The Independent (May 2008)
No blur at any rate about Verdi’s genius‚ clearly displayed in every note‚ every instrumental filigree‚ dispatched with spirit... by conductor Peter Robinson and the orchestra.
The Times (May 2008)
Deftly conducted by Peter Robinson.
Mail on Sunday (March 2008)
Conductor Peter Robinson ...steering the Southbank Sinfonia with characteristic relish and tremendous precision.
MusicOMH (September 2007)
Peter Robinson conducts the Southbank Sinfonia with alacrity.
The Times (September 2007)
The conductor Peter Robinson handles the climaxes expertly‚ with the City of London Sinfonia surging though not drowning the singers.
Bloomberg (August 2007)
Peter Robinson and the orchestra deliver a thrilling account of the piece.
The Guardian (August 2007)
Peter Robinson conducts the City of London Sinfonia with suavity and urgency
The Independent (August 2007)
As this scintillating score’‚ with the magisterial Peter Robinson conducting the City of London Sinfonia‚ proved‚ any notion of Montemezzi as some kind of lesser Puccini won’t wash.
The Independent (August 2007)
Peter Robinson’s stylish stewardship of the City of London Sinfonia.
The Observer (August 2007)
Peter Robinson’s conducting gives full weight to Montemezzi’s score.
Sunday Express (August 2007)
Peter Robinson generated a performance of surging energy from the City of London Sinfonia‚ cast and chorus.
Thisislondon.co.uk (July 2007)
Conductor Peter Robinson allows the orchestra its head...the results are undeniably exciting.
Financial Times (July 2007)
I’ve never seen Peter Robinson conduct with such passion and abandon‚ imbuing soloists‚ orchestra and chorus with the enthusiasm that he evidently feels for this marvellous piece.
Musical Criticism (July 2007)
'The City of London Sinfonia under Peter Robinson is magnificent‚ as good as almost anything I’ve heard at the major houses this year.
MusicOMH (July 2007)
The Royal Philharmonic under Peter Robinson provided a satisfying blend of warmth and precision.
Opera Magazine (May 2007)
'The conductor Peter Robinson infused the playing of the City of London Sinfonietta with plenty of vitality and never let the pace slacken.'
Opera Magazine (October 2006)
The orchestra is the Southbank Sinfonia‚ young music graduates from UK music colleges‚ and under Peter Robinson they provided the evening’s most continuous and reliable pleasure...Peter Robinson’s pacing of the opera‚ which was judiciously cut‚ was a model‚ never dragging‚ providing an ideal cushion for these young voices‚ and injecting liveliness into a score where it is at a discount....All told‚ BYO‚ thanks in largest part to Robinson‚ brought out the charms of Romeo while not managing to conceal its vacuity.
Spectator (September 2005)
The Southbank Sinfonia plays the delicate score skillfully under Peter Robinson.
Stage Online (September 2005)
The BYO’s conductor Peter Robinson addressed the first problem by making intelligent cuts and keeping the pace on the swift side...the music’s charm and sensuality was communicated with panache.
Telegraph (September 2005)
Peter Robinson’s ardent but unhysterical conducting.
Daily Telegraph (August 2005)
Peter Robinson’s conducting often attains a quality of nightmarish intensity. Strong stuff‚ and highly recommended.
The Guardian (August 2005)
The stylish conductor is Peter Robinson.
Jewish Chronicle (August 2005)
Some gutsy conducting from Peter Robinson.
Metro (August 2005)
The whole was driven along by Peter Robinson’s lively conducting‚ bringing out every nuance in Giordano’s wonderful score.
Musical Pointers (August 2005)
Conductor Peter Robinson galvanizes proceedings from the pit and the result is a genuinely rousing evening of verismo opera‚ sung and played to the hilt.
Stage (August 2005)
Giordano’s music powerfully projected by conductor Peter Robinson.
Sunday Express (August 2005)
The orchestra under Peter Robinson gave a spirited account of Giordano’s score.
What’s On (August 2005)
Peter Robinson conducts opera’s most restless score with tremendous sweep‚ style and sureness: this is music whose busy two-bar phrases can drive you mad unless the conductor and singers can find a line through them‚ and that happens triumphantly here.
Times (July 2005)
The score’s emotional range was thoroughly explored by the conductor‚ Peter Robinson‚ for whom the City of London Sinfonia played with commitment.
Opera Magazine (October 2005)
Peter Robinson conducts the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in a forthright‚ colourful reading.
Telegraph (February 2005)
Conductor Peter Robinson steered The Queensland Orchestra into one of the clearest and balanced readings of an opera score for many a season. The playing was robust. It was romantic.
Opera Magazine (June 2005)
Peter Robinson elicits from the Queensland Orchestra some of the most supple and luminous playing I’ve heard from this band.
Queensland Courier (January 2005)
From the first beat of the overture‚ Peter Robinson never put a foot wrong. It is as if he has lived and breathed this score all his life. His grasp and understanding of the dramatic action and inner emotions‚ was evident in every note.
Classical Source (July 2004)
Peter Robinson‚ for his part‚ achieves an admirable balance between the raw vigour of Verdi’s early style and the more nuanced lyricism towards which he was working.
Evening Standard (July 2004)
Peter Robinson and the CLS produced stylish Verdian playing.
Sunday Telegraph (July 2004)
Peter Robinson’s stalwart conducting found a flow of energy.
Telegraph (July 2004)
Peter Robinson conducts a superbly judged‚ dramatic reading in which every facet of Verdi’s remarkable score tells without overwhelming the singers.
The Stage (July 2004)
Conductor Peter Robinson gets some real Verdian fire and anguish out of the strings‚ and the caustically jaunty woodwinds were wonderfully played.
The Times (July 2004)
Peter Robinson has the chorus and RPO singing and playing with impassioned intensity.
