Marimba One Artists

Robert Oetomo (b. 1988) is a multiple award-winning Indonesian-born Australian percussionist, composer and educator. He has been invited as special guest artist to perform and present clinics, workshops and masterclasses in numerous festivals and universities around the world including the Hochschule für Musik Würzburg in Germany, the National Tainan University of Arts in Taiwan, Ithaca College and Southern Utah University in USA, Instituto Baccarelli and No Conservatório Brasileiro de Música in Brazil, the 2019 Australian Festival of Chamber Music in Townsville, the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University and the Australian Percussion Gathering 2016 in Brisbane, the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and Marimbafest (2019-2022) in Perth, the 9th Tabasco International Marimba Festival 2015 in Mexico and the 1st Qingdao International Percussion Festival 2014 in China. He is the Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Sydney Marimba Weekend, and was Principal Artistic Advisor and Composer in Residence for Marimbafest 2019-2023. He has been a jury member and adjudicated at multiple percussion competitions including the Australian Marimba Competition, Australian Percussion Eisteddfod, MalletLab International Online Mallet Competition and Marimbafest Marimba Competition.

A versatile percussionist, Robert has performed with various orchestras and ensembles including the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra (now known as the Opera Australia Orchestra), the Metropolitan Orchestra (Australia), the Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn, the Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester Mannheim, the Heidelberger Kantatenorchester and Synergy Percussion. He made his debut as soloist in 2010 with the Beecroft Orchestra, and since then has performed as soloist with the Sydney Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra, North Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Mosman Symphony Orchestra, Cameraygal Wind Symphony, Phoenix Artist Collective (Australia), Ensemble Impronta (Germany) and the Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra (Singapore). Robert has currently released two CDs; Evergreen EP and Soar: A Composers’ Portrait. 

As a composer, Robert passionately advocates the development and expansion of percussion music. He has composed more than 40 works for percussion to date, some of which are now standards in the repertoire list amongst universities, high schools and concert stages all over the world. A selected number of his works have been performed in prestigious concert halls such as the Royal Albert Hall and the Sydney Opera House. He has been commissioned to compose compulsory pieces for the 1st MalletLab International Online Mallet Competition 2018, the Marimbafest Marimba Competition (2020-2023), the Australian Marimba Competition (2015 – 2019), the 2020 Taiwan World Percussion Championship, the 2022 Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Snare Drum Award, and the drum kit categories of the 2022 Australian Percussion Eisteddfod. For Beethoven’s 250th Anniversary in 2020, he was commissioned by German pianist Susan Kessel, to take part in the ‘250 Piano Pieces for Beethoven’ international project; which he composed the piece For Allyce. His first symphonic work, Spirit of The Dreaming with solo didgeridoo, was premiered at the 2008 Aurora Music Festival in Sydney, Australia. Later that year, it was performed again with renowned didgeridoo soloist, William Barton. Robert was selected for the 2010 Ku-Ring-Gai Philharmonic Orchestra Composers’ Workshop program during which he composed his orchestral work, Reflections on an Islandʼs Landscape, under the mentorship of composer Nigel Butterley and John Peterson. His works are published by Edition Svitzer (Denmark), Tapspace Publications (USA) and Editions Musica Ferrum (UK). Robert is a Marimba One Premier Artist, an Encore Mallets Signature Artist and a Sabian Cymbals endorser.

In his formative years, Robert first studied composition at the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music under the tutelage of Professor Douglas Knehans and Constantine Koukias. While studying composition, he began his percussion journey at the late age of 18, under the close guidance of Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Principal Percussion, Gary Wain.

He then pursued percussion as a major study at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where he graduated with Bachelor of Music (Performance) First Class Honours studying under the tutelage of Daryl Pratt (former Chair of Percussion) and former Sydney Symphony Orchestra Principal Timpani, Richard Miller.

After graduating from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, he briefly studied with Claire Edwardes, before studying abroad in Germany, where he attended the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Mannheim (Mannheim University of Music and Performing Arts), under the tutelage of Professor Dennis Kuhn and Jasmin Kolberg. Robert received the highest distinction (1,0) for his Master of Music in Performance (Künstlerische Ausbildung) graduation recital in 2014.

Robert currently performs and teaches on a Marimba One 3100 5-octave marimba with Premium Keyboard and Basso Bravo Resonators. He also teaches on a Marimba One Educational 4.3-octave marimba with Traditional Keyboard and Classic Resonators.