Robert Mueller is a gifted young American Pianist who has won a solid
reputation for vigor, clarity, and sensitively controlled musicianship. In
both Europe and America he is recognized as an able interpreter of modern
music as well as of the works of classic and romantic composers. In the
United States he has appeared with the San Francisco Symphony, the
Sacramento Philharmonic, the University of Miami Symphony, and other
orchestra and chamber ensembles. His Town Hall and Carnegie Hall recitals
brought extraordinary critical acclaim. In the fall of 1956 his European
tour included such cities as Helsinki, Copenhagen, London, Paris, Vienna,
Rome, Milan and other music centers. 1961-1962 will mark his fifth United
States tour, including plans for Asia, the Near and Far East and South
America.
Born in Decatur, Illinois, Mueller studied under Moissaye
Boguslawski in Chicago and with Egon Petri at Cornell University. At the
ages of sixteen and seventeen he appeared with the New York City Symphony
and in recitals. During the war he spent three years in the U.S. Army Air
Corps, during which time he qualified as a pilot, served as instructor in
navigation, gave occasional recitals, and appeared with orchestra and on
Hollywood canteen shows. Immediately upon completion of his Air Force
service in 1946, he resumed music study under Harald Logan in San Francisco.
Since his recital debut there in 1950, Mr. Mueller has been especially
active as a concert artist in the cities of the West Coast. He won the San
Francisco Music Critic Award in 1953 and the San Francisco Symphony
Foundation Award in 1955. He has also appeared repeatedly with the Campion
Festivals, featuring old and contemporary music.
Mr. Mueller has consistently championed the cause of
contemporary composers by including one or more of their works in many of
his programs. The New York premiere of Boris Blacher's Piano Sonata, Opus
39, for example, which Mr. Mueller presented in Town Hall, introduced an
important work of a young German composer who has been active in the United
States. In the San Francisco area and elsewhere Mr. Mueller has also
introduced works of young Californian composers. Apart from his professional
activities, Mr. Mueller is an avid collector of phonograph records. His
collection exceeds 3,000 catalogued recordings, some of which are extremely
rare. He is an amateur photographer and often takes several camera with him
on tour for both still photography and motion pictures. His oriental art
collection would be envied by many museums specializing in the Ming and Sung
dynasties. When not on tour Mr. Mueller lives in Berkeley, California.
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Biography supplied by the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra,
featuring Robert Mueller,
Pianist. Approximate date: 1960.
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