To say that Carol Robinson is a Franco-American composer and clarinetist is perhaps too restrictive to describe the eclecticism of her experience and passion. In fact, she seems interested in everything having to do with sound. She is not someone who likes the middle ground, preferring the edges, the extremes. Her music is situated in those places of tenderness and rage, gentleness and power that come from experience and mastery. Trained as a classical clarinetist, she graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory before continuing her study of contemporary music in Paris thanks to a H.H. Woolley grant. Whether playing repertoire or experimental material, she performs in major venues and festivals the world over (Festival d’Automne à Paris, MaerzMuzik, Archipel, RomaEuropa, Wien Modern, Huddersfield, Geometry of Now, Angelica, Crossing the Line…), and works closely with musicians from a wide stylistic spectrum. A fervent improviser, she prefers the most open musical situations and regularly collaborates with choreographers,  photographers, visual artists and videographers.

In parallel, it was through writing music theater pieces that she began composing seriously. She started with small ensembles, and rapidly received commissions for larger works. Recent compositions include: Can You See (commission – French Ministry of Culture) for 8 voices mandolin, guitar and harp, Blanc de Neige (commission – French Ministry of Culture) trio archipel -saxophone – electric guitar – double bass – electronics, Forest Gazing (commission – Radio France),  for birbynė  and string quartet, GEORG (premiere CCAM – Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy), for bass clarinet, electric guitar and live electronics L‘illusion des étangs (premiere – Philharmonie de Paris) for birbynė  and string quartet,  Mr Barbe bleue a chamber opera for baroque ensemble produced by the Opéra de Reims (commission – French Ministry of Culture).

Long fascinated by the extended possibilities of live and fixed electronic music, Carol has written numerous pieces for acoustic instruments and electronics. Her exploration and use of aleatory procedures is distinctive.

In 2012, she began a cycle called The Weather Pieces that incorporates these methods. Three of these pieces were released on MODE RECORDS: Nacarat for electric guitar and quadriphonic electronics (co-production La Muse en Circuit, Césaré, Art Zoyd), Black on Green for double bass and tri-phonic electronics (commission – GMEM), and Les si doux redoux for basset horn and mobile stereo electronics.