Joseph Robinson, Oboe

Throughout his career, Mr. Robinson has been instrumental in raising money and awareness for the performing arts.

Davidson College Scholarship Fundraiser 

In 1983, Mr. Robinson he received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from his undergraduate alma mater, Davidson College, where with Zubin Mehta's help he created a scholarship fund for young musicians which totals nearly $1.5 million.

Jackson Hole Residency

Joseph Robinson proposed, planned, and arranged funding for the New York Philharmonic's first two-week residency in 147 years at the Grand Teton Music Festival in July 1989. The event was featured on CBS Sunday Morning.

"Heroes of Conscience" 

As a member of its board of directors in 1992, Joseph Robinson produced "Heroes of Conscience" for Union Theological Seminary -- both as a benefit concert, which helped raise $2 million for an endowment at the Seminary in memory of theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and as an Emmy-award-winning television concert/documentary. 

New York Philharmonic & Philadelphia Orchestra Joint Concert 

In November 1996, Mr. Robinson produced a concert shared by players from the Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic in Camden, New Jersey -- a unique concert hailed by The New York Times as "a classic battle of the bands."

Make-a-Wish Oboe Player 

In December 2000, Mr. Robinson invited Johanna Johnson, a 16-year-old oboe-playing cancer patient from California, to fulfill a Make-A-Wish Foundation dream by performing next to him in the New York Philharmonic. Only the second non-professional ever to perform in a concert with the New York Philharmonic, Johanna attracted international interest and publicity.

"Prelude to Piano"

 Mr. Robinson led the production in 2004 of "Prelude to Piano," a one-of-a-kind concert event to raise money for a new Steinway piano for the Northern Valley Regional High School in Demarest, New Jersey. Internationally renowned artists, as well as arts administrators, politicians, and businesspeople joined in support to raise awareness about the need for high-quality arts education in our nation's public schools.