Biography

 Robert Conquer is quickly establishing himself as one of Canada’s finest young musicians. Most recently, he performed a full solo recital in collaboration with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and Ici Musique. In 2022, Robert performed Nino Rota’s Concerto per Trombone on tour with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada as the first-prize recipient of the Canada Council for the Arts - Michael Measures Prize. In 2021, he was the second-prize winner of this same award and was also named as one of CBC Classical Music's "30 Hot Classical Musicians Under 30."   

Robert is thrilled to be the newly-appointed Principal Trombonist of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra following a successful tenure process. Within this ensemble, he is the youngest regular musician.

He was the winner of the 2020 Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal Competition, wherein he also received a full scholarship to attend Domaine Forget de Charlevoix and the prize for best interpretation of a Canadian work in the semi-final round. He is the first-prize winner of numerous other solo competitions including the American Trombone Workshop National Solo Competition, Canadian National Music Festival, North American Brass Band Association Championships, Ontario Music Festivals Association, Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival, and the Hannaford Youth Band Competition. 

Passionate about new music, Robert most recently collaborated with Australian-Lebanese composer Elizabeth Younan which culminated in the recorded performance of her new work "Lone Song" for solo trombone. He also recently worked with American composer Elise Arancio, performing her new work “A Negative Space for Trombone and Electronics” in December 2020. 

In 2018, Robert premiered the late Canadian composer Donald Coakley’s “Sound Bites for Trombone and Winds” alongside the Agincourt Collegiate Wind Symphony. Robert will remember Mr. Coakley fondly during each of his future performances.

Originally from Scarborough, Ontario, Robert studied privately with trombonist David Archer for three years before pursuing his studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia with Nitzan Haroz and Matthew Vaughn as a Carrie L. Tolson Memorial Fellow. Robert was recognized as Curtis' Presser Scholar, a prestigious scholarship awarded to one senior student who has high academic and musical accomplishments and embodies the qualities of leadership and citizenship. He looks forward to graduating with his Bachelor of Music in the Spring of 2023.

Outside of the trombone, Robert is extremely passionate about chain restaurants, video games and the Toronto Blue Jays!

Robert is now an S.E. Shires Artist, and he currently plays on a Shires Tenor Trombone with a 5YVNY bell, gold brass slide, yellow brass rotary valve and along with a silver-plated Griego Alessi 7D mouthpiece.