Robbie Kondor
Adjunct Instructor of Music
Applied Audio Production
Robbie Kondor was born in Budapest, Hungary and grew up in Queens, NY, playing rock and roll in any garage or basement that would have him. Playing piano since age five, he later studied with Lennie Tristano, David Labovitz, and Francis Hall, culminating in a Bachelor’s Degree from the Manhattan School of Music. While still in school, he began playing keyboards on recording sessions and soon became one of the most sought after studio musicians in New York.
His credits as keyboard player, arranger, producer, and/or synthesizer programmer include records with with such diverse artists as Eric Clapton, Jewel, Barbra Streisand, Luciano Pavarotti, Queen Latifah, Whitney Houston, Billy Joel, Aretha Franklin, Carly Simon, The Manhattan Transfer, the Bee Gees, Anita Baker, Bette Midler, Meat Loaf, Carole King, Dionne Warwick, Vanessa Williams, James Galway, Roberta Flack, Smashing Pumpkins, and many others. He produced and arranged four songs on Jewel’s 2013 Christmas album, including one of his own.
He’s played concerts and major tours with many of the above artists, and has also toured with Linda Ronstadt, Mariah Carey, Darlene Love, and with James Taylor and Carole King on their historic Troubadour Reunion Tour.
He is frequently seen on television augmenting the Letterman band, accompanying a singer on the network morning shows, and in the house band for specials including The Grammys, The Kennedy Center Honors, Tony Awards, Pavarotti and Friends, In Performance At The White House, Comic Relief, and TV specials honoring John Lennon, Aretha Franklin, and Les Paul, just to name a few.
Most recently he was the musical director for two large events honoring Carole King – one for the Musicares Person of the Year, and the other for the Gershwin Prize for Songwriting, which was Kondor’s third White House performance. As musical director, he wrote the arrangements, conducted the band, played piano, and coordinated the talent which included Leanne Rimes, Steven Tyler, Alicia Keys, Billy Joel, James Taylor, Gloria Estefan, Trisha Yearwood, and others.
Kondor has played on major film scores composed by Elmer Bernstein, Carter Burwell, Benny Golson, Dave Grusin, Michael Small, Marvin Hamlisch, Patrick Doyle, Georges Delerue, Ira Newborn, Ralph Burns, and others.
Since turning his attention to composing, Kondor has composed the scores for several feature films including “Happiness”, “The Suburbans”, and “Ball In The House”, television themes and underscores including Sally Jesse Rafael, All My Children, Home Delivery, Nova (PBS), After School Special (ABC), and hundreds of national television commercials.
He has won three Emmy awards for his work in television, two Clios, a Telly, and an ADDY for his work in commercials, the Elevate Film Festival award for Best Original Score, and the NARAS Most Valuable Player award for his contributions as a studio musician.
Website: http://www.kondormusic.com/
Contact: kondorr@wcsu.educreate new email