Pianist Anthony Tobin

Middle left: Van Cliburn, Anthony Tobin, and Daniel Pollack after Cliburn's keynote speech at the MTNA National Convention in Austin, TX. Pollack and Cliburn both competed at the first International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow in 1958 and were students of Rosina Lhevinne.

Middle right: Director Jamie Babbit and Anthony Tobin after the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of "The Quiet" , released by Sony Pictures Classics, and on DVD. Watch the trailer in which Tobin plays part of the Beethoven Sonata Opus 49#1 in g minor.

Performance and Recording Highlights

9/19/08 Tokyo Points video:

10/12/08 Autumn in Japan: Tokyo video:

Tobin is now on the faculty of the Regents School of Austin. January 3-29 2008 Tobin toured Germany, The Netherlands, and Switzerland with the Austin Eurythmy Ensemble and performed with them in Wittenanen Germany May 2nd, 2008. During May Tobin and violinist Christian Höfer performed in Amsterdam, Driebergen, The Hague, and Breda Blick, The Netherlands. The tour went very well and Tobin subsequently recorded a Fugue for Imke Jelle, a Netherlands composer, with Cellist Terry Muir. March 9th Tobin performed with Chapparal Eurythmy at the AMOA Laguna Gloria Museum and March 27th at Noon Tobin performed a solo recital on the Central Presbyterian Noontime Concert Series. Tobin performed on the same series April 17th with cellist Terry Muir and on April 24 with Chapparal Eurythmy. Saturday September 6th Tobin played for Caroline Cooper's wedding at Westlake Presbyterian Chruch. Tobin performed for a festival Wednesday November 5th at the Austin Waldorf School and accompanied for the Austin Symphony Youth Concerto auditions. Later in November he has an engagement in Basel, Switzerland. A solo recital will be announced soon and he will perform with Chaparral Eurythmy January 16th and 17th at the Austin Waldorf School.

Debussy Project

Tobin is developing a website, documentary film, and lecture recital about the role of light, sense of place, and visual stimuli in Debussy's piano works. Tobin interviewed pianists Daniel Pollack and Stewart Gordon about their perspectives on pianistic style and Roy Howat, James Briscoe, Marie Rolf, and Richard Langham Smith at the International Debussy Congress. Tobin will return to Paris and Debussy's birthplace Saint Germain en-Laye to film, photograph, and do further research for the film during 2008-9.

This is a sample of footage and sequences which may appear in my documentary about the French Impressionist composer Claude Debussy. It has some of the interviews, scenes, people, and piano works that will appear in the final film. But it is a rough cut that may change completely. Debussy scholars Marie Rolf, Richard Langham-Smith, Row Howat, and Stewart Gordon appear, and pianist Anthony Tobin Scenes are places that were relevant during Debussy’s life with the exception of “Footprints in the Snow, which is temporary footage. I am interested in constructive criticism, positive or negative. What works, what does not, what would you like to see included? This is only a beginning, I plan to do my own demonstration and analysis and Peter Bay, Conductor of the Austin Symphony, will discuss La Mer.

Recent Press

Tobin appeared with Flutist Seetha Shivaswamy on the Fox 7 Austin Morning Show. Read Chris Garcia's 7.19.2006 discussion of Tobin's work on "The Quiet" in the Austin Movie Blog. TV Guide Online refers to the "soulful piano playing". Tobin plays parts of the Appassionata, Opus 49#1, Les Adieux, and Opus 101 Sonatas.

Video Work

Tobin continues to film, edit, and produce short experimental films that chronicle life in the world's cities. Summer 2008 shorts include Elements, This little seed of mine, Luzern, Basel 2008, Shinjuku, and Tokyo Points. June 2008 Tobin returned to Tokyo for interviews, photography, and video and is editing an HD documentary film about Minami-Senju and the contrast between old and new in Tokyo. Below is a sample video combining Tokyo footage with piano improvisation: