history
Robert Tiso was born in London in 1968 and spent most of his life in Italy where he still lives. His musical education started at the age of 15 studying classical guitar and ever since has evolved in many directions. He studied music theory, composition and sound engineering with Paolo Marzocchi and has participated in some of his projects.
His interest for glass music began in 2000 when he was musical director of a theatre production for which he created and played his first glass harp. Since then part of his artistic motivation has been spent mastering and evolving this instrument.
He performs a wide selection of classical masterpieces, all especially arranged for the glass harp so the audience can fully appreciate the magical sounds of this intriguing instrument and its outstanding possibilities.
Robert Tiso has played for many music and art festivals, theatre shows, schools, educational programmes, cultural events, museums, private parties, TV and radio broadcasts and several events related to glass and water, the fundamental elements of his music.
Water events:
-the water exibition at PHAENO science museum in Wolfsbug
-water festival VIE D'ACQUA in Vicenza
-opening of the WASSERWERK Kulturstandort in Hildesheim
-Restoration of "La fonte dei poeti" in S. Angelo in Lizzola - Urbino. (historical water spring where many artists of the past saught inspiration, including G. Rossini when writing his famous opera "La gazza ladra").
-UNICEF water conference in Switzerland
-collaboration with Helmut Eigenmann for his water and light sculptures.
For glass producers:
-SISE CAM's 75th anniversary celebration in Istanbul (worldwide glass manufacturers)
-CRISTALEX (Top Bohemian crystal manufacturer)
-ASSO VETRO (Italian glass industry association)
-Vetreria etrusca (Italian glass manufacturers)
-Museo del vetro di Empoli (glass museum, Empoli)
-SAIDA (Italian glass manufacturers)
Robert Tiso also collaborates with many artists in live concerts, studio recordings, theatre shows and multimedia productions.
live concerts with:
-Paolo Marzocchi (pianist, composer)
-Fernando Villanueva (pianist, composer)
-Fahir Atakoglu (pianist, composer)
-Sandro Paradisi (pianist, accordionist, composer)
With Orchestras:
-I POMERIGGI MUSICALI in Milano
-TFN (Theater für Niedersachsen) in Hildesheim
Bands:
-IL TEATRO DEGLI ORRORI
-SPITUAL JUNCTION
-QUID?
Teatre:
-CLAUDIA TRIOZZI in "Ni vu ni connu"-contemporary theatre
-GIROVAGO E RONDELLA FAMILY THEATRE in "Mano viva"-puppet show, "Circo poetico"-theatre show and several other projects.
-VANNI DE LUCIA in "Babele"-comedy variety, "Chi di spada"-historical biography of "Fiore dei Liberi da Cividale".
-Mirko Revoyera in "Generoso il vin si versi"-comedy variety
-Corrado Nuzzo & Maria di Biase in "Corrado e Maria live show"-comedy variety
Documentaries:
One of his video productions is included in "Bach and friends" by U.S. film producer Michael Lawrence. A documentary about J. S. Bach featuring world top class musicians such as Joshua Bell, Hilary Hann, Bob Macferrin, Philip Glass and many others. www.mlfilms.com
He also participated in the recording of the movie sound track "The shadow within" directed by Silvana Zancolò, the album "A sangue freddo" by "Il teatro degli orrori", the spot jingle for Sise Cam's 75th anniversary.
The sound of a wine glass may be familiar to most people, but the voice of the glass harp is always a surprise to everyone. Its tones have been described as "celestial", meaning they sound like they come from another world, and lead the listener into a mesmerizing and ethereal atmosphere.
With this enchanting musical sound Robert Tiso performs a wide repertoire, from classical masterpieces by Bach, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky... to the more modern styles of Morricone, Pink Floyd... . Each piece carefully chosen to suit the sound and arranged to express the full potential possibilities of the glass harp.
Continuously evolving his performing style, Robert Tiso has been appreciated and acclaimed worldwide as one of the few glass harp masters of the present.
The glass harp was first created in 1741 by an Irishman, Richard Pockrich: he is known as the first virtuoso of this instrument and started a completely new musical tradition. The composer Christoph Willibald Gluck performed on a glass harp in Copenhagen and London, his instrument consisted of 26 goblets. Musical glasses became popular in the XVIII century, when "Instructions for the Playing of the Musical Glasses" was published in English and German.
During this time, statesman Benjamin Franklin, after attending a glass harp performance, was astonished by the the sweetness of the tones, but at the same time could foresee the limits of the instrument given the distance between the wine glasses. He overcame the problem with his inventive creativity by nesting many glass bowls one inside the other so the rims would be close to each other and many notes could be played simultaneously. With this idea Franklin invented the glass harmonica in 1761, this new instrument became very popular and quickly took the place of the conventional musical glasses.
About 400 works were written for the harmonica between 1761 and 1835, some even by Mozart and Beethoven, but it’s popularity ended suddenly when chamber music evolved towards larger orchestras performing in larger halls where this instrument’s airy sound was just not loud enough. Glass music was also banned by a police decree in some German cities, it was thought to cause both mental and physical disorders and also to recall spirits. So the glass harmonica was abandoned for about a century.
It’s first reappearance was in 1919 in “Die Frau ohne Schatten” by Richard Strauss. Just a few years later, in 1929, German musician Bruno Hoffman from Stuttgart made his first glass harp. He dedicated most of his life developing and promoting this instrument which became popular again thanks to his great contribution.
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