About

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Robbie Strauss is a composer and flutist who views music and performance as a means of capturing human experiences to be communicated to listeners. Born and raised in New Jersey, he owes his love of music to the fabulous mentors he had growing up. He thrives on collaborations and close work with other artists and enjoys the spaces where stylistic interests converge! 

His 2024 mixed quartet All of the Voices, winning piece of the 2024 Joseph Dorfman Composition Contest, captures the reality of social media and the slippery slopes it creates in real time. The 2023 String Quartet on Four Notes blends styles of classical and folk style string playing, creating an exciting experience for the audience and performers alike. 

As a flutist, Robbie enjoys a career as a soloist, ensemble performer and improviser. In 2023, he won the University of Delaware Concerto Competition, playing Griffes’ Poem for Flute and Orchestra. Additionally, he was a founding member of the Lugubrious 5 Woodwind Quintet. He strives to work with as many living composers as possible. He plays with the Old Bay New Music Ensemble in Baltimore, MD, and works with composers regularly to perform and create new works for the flute!

Robbie graduated in 2025 from the University of Delaware for his Bachelor’s, majoring in Composition and Flute Performance. There he worked with Yoshiaki Onishi, Jennifer Barker, and Eileen Grycky. He now attends the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University for a master's in composition, studying with Felipe Lara. 

Photo Credit: Steffen Dietze