Robert Anderson, a South Carolina native, has been an advocate for creative string playing since his first exposure to jazz at age 16. Robert moved to Los Angeles in 2000 seeking performance opportunities with like-minded creative string players. In 2001, he joined the Supernova String Quartet, a collaboration that develops and showcases original compositions, arrangements and improvisation in the jazz idiom. Robert has been a part of the contemporary string community for nearly two decades, emphasizing the value of non-traditional styles, creativity and improvisation as valuable supplements to traditional string pedagogy.
Robert is the violin instructor for the Contemporary Music Division at the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music, teaching applied lessons in non-classical styles and directing the Thornton Pop String Ensemble. In 2007, he cofounded String Project Los Angeles, an after school program committed to introducing creative string playing and improvisation to young string players of all ages and experience levels.
Robert has a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from the University of South Carolina and a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of Southern California. He has studied with Bert Ligon, Bob Mintzer and Russell Ferrante. Robert lives in Los Angeles with his wife Carly and daughter Lydia. He performs on Yamaha Electric Violins.
