Born in California, Robert Coburn grew up in the hills behind Whittier College. His early sonic experience listening to thousands of crickets cycling minimalist calls in the night with occasional interruptions by coyotes served to focus his awareness on the powerful ambience of the natural world. His compositional activities have been shaped by a strong interest in works created and concepts espoused by a group of artists including Fred Sandback, Callum Innes, Agnes Martin, Anne Truitt, James Turrell, Robert Irwin, Lee Ufan, and Tadao Ando. Their commitment to the power of perceptual experience, simple materials, and emptiness has had a significant impact on his recent compositions.
_________________________________

Compositions – Installations – Performances

Imagining Silence (2022) Hordijk and Buchla analog systems

The Dreaming [First Cycle] (2021) for Hordijk and Buchla analog systems (with optional acoustic instruments)

Sea of Time – On the Sea (2021) for sho, piano, and Buchla analog modular instrument

Reflection on Still Light – Tollyn (2020) Hordijk analog system and Blippoo Box (with optional acoustic instruments)

Reflection on Still Light – Carn (2020) Hordijk and Buchla analog systems, and Blippoo Box (with optional acoustic instruments)

Reflection on Still Light – Enzu (2020) Hordijk and Buchla analog systems, and Blippoo Box (with optional acoustic instruments)

Reflection on Still Light – Alta (2020) Hordijk and Buchla analog systems, and Blippoo Box (with optional acoustic instruments)

Interlude: Cloud and Sky (2020) Buchla and Hordijk analog instruments, based on music for Yellow Wallpaper

Forgotten Landscape 1 to 4 (2020) Buchla and Hordijk analog instruments, based on music for Yellow Wallpaper

Soundtrack for The Yellow Wallpaper (2020) a film by Kevin Pontuti
 Screenings:
  Topanga Film Festival 2o21, Los Angeles.
  Kerry International Film Festival 2021, Killarney Ireland.
  H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival, Portland OR.
  CINE-EXCESS International Film Festival, Birmingham UK.
  TOHORROR Fantastic Film Festival 2021, Turin Italy.
  Rand Film Festival 2021, Kassel Germany.
  Popcorn Frights Film Festival 2021, Miami Florida.
  Cinequest Film Festival 2021, San Francisco Bay Area [premiere].

The Ordinary Dreams of Inanimate Objects (2019) clarinet, viola, piano

Distant Light… Quiet Stream (2017) piano
 Satoko Inoue, piano
 Ryogoku Monten Hall, Tokyo, Japan 2014.
 Recital Hall, Conservatory of Music, University of the  Pacific 2018.

a soft breath of winter light (2017) sho, piano, electronic sound
 Ko Ishikawa, sho; Satoko Inoue, piano; Robert Coburn, electronics
 Ryogoku Monten Hall, Tokyo, Japan 2017.
 Recital Hall, Conservatory of Music, University of the Pacific 2018.

a depth of stillness (2017) violin, cello, piano
 Trio 180 – Ann Miller, Vicky Wang, Sonia Leong
 Recital Hall, Conservatory of Music, University of  the Pacific 2017.

Quiet Traceries [return] (2016) alto/bass flute, clarinet, bass, guitar, vibraphone, piano
 Faye Spanos Concert Hall, , University of the Pacific 2016.
 Ensemble NOMAD – Tokyo Opera City Hall, Tokyo, Japan 2018.

Tokyo/Naoshima/New York/Berkeley/Berlin (2015) analog electronics, video
 Faye Spanos Concert Hall,University of the Pacific 2015.

Three (2013) piano
 Satoko Inoue, piano
 Ryogoku Monten Hall, Tokyo, Japan 2014.
 Ryogoku Monten Hall, Tokyo, Japan 2017.
 San Francisco Center for New Music 2017.
 
Interstitial Traces (2012) alto/baritone saxophone, computer sound, animation by Celia Eid
 Biodromo, Bilbao, Spain 2013.
 ARTECHMEDIA, Tenerife, Canarias 2013.
 SIMULTAN FESTIVAL 2013 – Timisoara, Romania 2013.
 Videoholica, Varna, Bulgaria 2013.
 Musée du Quai Branly, Paris, France 2013.
 Transverse Video Festival, Toulouse, France 2014.
 Bits and Bytes, Music, Technology and Innovation Research Centre, Leicester, UK 2017.

Kaze no Yume [Dream of the Wind] (2012/17) hichiriki, ryuteki, sho, mokusho, rin, computer, video
 Autumn Wind Trio – University of the Pacific Japanese Festival of Music and Art 2012.
 Sonorities Festival, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK 2017.
 School of Music and Visual Arts, University of Kent, UK 2017.
 Bits and Bytes, Music, Technology, and Innovation Research Centre, Leicester, UK 2017.
 Ko Ishikawa, sho, Ryogoku Monten Hall, Tokyo, Japan 2017.

Fragile Horizon, In Stillness, TranquilTurmoil Dreaming, Seeing Through
 Western Oregon New Music Festival, Monmouth, Oregon 2009.

Fragile  Horizon (2007) viola, speaking voice, computer, video
 Brubeck Festival 2007, Faye Spanos Concert Hall, University of the Pacific. 2007
 International Saxophone Festival, Palmela, Portugal 2008.

between… beyond (2002) site-specific sound/lightbox installation
 Richard and Marjorie Reynolds Gallery 2002.

Voice [verse 1] (2000) modified field recording
 Symposium En Red O, Barcelona, Spain 2001.

39 Bells (1993 – 1996) – permanent sound installation
 The Avenue of the Arts, Public Arts Program, Philadelphia Office of Arts and Culture.

Shadowbox (1994) clarinet
 Patricia Kostek, clarinet
 The Society of Contemporary Music, Stockholm and Orebro, Sweden 1994.
 Open Space Gallery, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada 1994.
 Clarinetfest, Conference of the International Clarinet Association, Chicago, Illinois 1995.

Luminous Shadows [for John Cage] (1993) cello, percussion, piano
 Victoria International Music Festival, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada 1993.

Turnings (1989) guitar, synthesizer
 John Tamburello, guitar
 De Ijsbreker, Amsterdam, Holland 1990.

Bell Circles II (1987 – 1990, redesign and expansion 2020) Permanent sound installation
 Public Art Program, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Oregon.

Environs (1985) soprano saxophone, tenor voice, 3 sampling keyboards
 Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland Composers Festival, Portland Oregon 1985.

Descend to the River (1983) string bass, electronic music with visual images by Jon Dickinson
 Fall Festival of Music, Roulette, New York 1983.

Staursahng (1982) live electronic music with visual images by Jon Dickinson
 Jon Dickinson, visuals
 Forum ’82 International Festival of New Music, Composers Forum, New York 1982.
 Fall Festival of New Music – Roulette, New York 1983.
 Electronic Music Plus Festival, Greenville, North Carolina 1983.

Fog (1982) chorus and guitar
 Oregon Repertory Singers: Amsterdam, Gottingen, Edinburgh, and Trinity College, Cambridge 1982.

As Water Seeks it’s Own Level (1980) oboe, trombone, and electronics
 Berg Swann Auditorium, Portland Art Museum 1980.

Glasslight Presence (1978) – Sound/Light installation
 The Henry Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle 1978.

Reflections on a Poem of Morton Marcus (1974/75) violin, alto flute, piano, percussion and electronics
 Portland Center for the Visual Arts, Portland, Oregon 1975.
 Portland Composers’ Concerts, Portland State University 1976.
 and/or, Seattle 1978.

_________________________________________________

Residencies
Elektronmusikstudion EMS, Stockholm, Sweden 2017.
YADDO artist’s retreat 2013.
Fulbright Scholar Award for teaching and research in Japan 2011 – 12.
_________________________________________________

Teaching
Professor and Program Director of Composition and Music Theory 1993 – 2019.
 Conservatory of Music, University of the Pacific, Stockton, California.
 Director: SoundImageSound International Festival of New Music and Visual Image 2004 – 2013.
Department Chair/Assistant Professor, Marylhurst College 1982 – 1990. 
Music Theory/Electronic Music Faculty, Lewis & Clark College School of Music 1978-1982.