About Robin
A musical life shaped by performance, teaching, composition and a strong connection to place.
Robin Thomson
Robin Thomson is an Australian composer, arranger, pianist, guitarist and educator based in Denmark, Western Australia. His music ranges from contemporary classical and chamber works to jazz, piano miniatures, guitar music and accessible arrangements.
Across all of these strands runs a common idea: music should be crafted with care, but it should also invite people in — to listen, to perform and, above all, to play.
From guitarist to composer
Robin's musical life has developed through several overlapping careers rather than a single straight line.
Guitarist
After taking up the guitar as a teenager, Robin undertook formal classical guitar studies at the West Australian Conservatorium of Music, with bass viol as his second study. He graduated with a Diploma of Music Teaching in 1985.
Educator
Teaching has remained a constant throughout Robin's working life — from private music teaching to many years in tertiary education, and now through Play Piano Now in Denmark. That experience continues to shape the practical, performer-conscious character of his writing.
Composer
Robin began composing in the late 1990s. A shift toward the piano from 2009 opened a new creative direction, and composition gradually became the central focus of his musical work. He completed a Bachelor of Music in 2025.
Craft, character and playability
Robin's catalogue includes solo piano and guitar works, chamber music, guitar ensemble repertoire, jazz-influenced pieces and a substantial body of arrangements.
Some works are written for experienced performers; others are deliberately approachable. What matters is that the musical idea survives the process — accessibility should not mean removing personality, colour or expressive depth.
This performer-first outlook also informs Robin's arrangements, where the aim is to retain the identity of the original music while avoiding unnecessary technical gymnastics.
For PerformersPlease, Please Rain!!!
Robin's guitar ensemble work Please, Please Rain!!! won first prize in the inaugural Duncan Gardiner Guitar Ensemble Composition Competition, helping lead to further publication and performance opportunities.
Western Australia and the Great Southern
Living in Denmark has given Robin a strong connection to the forests, coast and wildlife of Western Australia's Great Southern. That sense of place appears repeatedly in his work — sometimes directly, sometimes as atmosphere, memory or character.
From bird-inspired piano miniatures to larger works concerned with landscape and environmental loss, the natural world has become an increasingly important part of his compositional voice.
Arranger
A substantial catalogue of arrangements for piano and other instruments brings together classical, jazz and popular repertoire with an emphasis on musical character and practical playability.
Browse arrangements →Recorded & Electronic Music
Alongside acoustic and concert music, Robin explores ambient, electronic, jazz, funk and other studio-based styles through the Growling Gecko Label.
Explore recordings →Play Piano Now
Robin continues to teach piano in Denmark through a playing-based approach focused on repertoire, confidence and the pleasure of making music.
Visit Play Piano Now →Composer biography & publications
For presenters, performers, publishers and media, Robin's Australian Composers profile provides a formal biography and information about published works.
Australian Composers profileStart a conversation
For performance enquiries, commissions, collaborations, sheet music or other questions.