Dr. Robert Van Sice

Biography

Robert van Sice is considered one of the world's foremost performers of contemporary music for marimba, having premiered more than 100 works for the instrument. His contributions include four seminal pieces in the marimba repertoire: Peter Klatzow’s 'Dances of Earth and Fire', Alejandro Viñao’s 'Estudios de Frontera', Martin Bresnick’s double marimba concerto 'Grace', and James Wood’s 'Spirit Festival Lamentations'. He has also introduced a newly developed quarter-tone marimba. With a varied performing career, van Sice has given recitals in over 30 countries, appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras, and been featured on international radio stations. One of the world’s respected percussion teachers, he has guided numerous students who have gone on to play in symphony orchestras and contemporary chamber ensembles, winning competitions and maintaining successful solo careers. In addition to his teaching work with graduate-level percussionists at Yale School of Music, he has been on the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music. In 2024, he retired from his position as Professor of Percussion at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, where he served for over twenty years. Previously, he led Europe’s diploma program for solo marimba players at the Rotterdam Conservatory in the Netherlands. He has also given hundreds of master classes around the world and served as President of the Jury for the ARD Competition in Munich. Over the years, he has released six CDs on esteemed labels such as Etcetera, Mode, and New World Records.

Research Interests

Experience