Peter Manning Robinson, the Los Angeles-based pianist, Emmy Award–winning and multi–BMI Award–winning composer, continues to expand the boundaries of instrumental music with the announcement of his forthcoming album Excursions. Known for bridging cinematic scope with emotional depth, Robinson’s latest project marks a powerful return to solo acoustic piano—stripping away experimentation to reveal something raw, intimate, and deeply human.
Born in Chicago and raised between Vancouver and Los Angeles, Robinson began playing piano at the age of three and was performing professionally by twelve. His early foundation—rooted in classical structure and jazz improvisation—was further shaped through studies at USC and Berklee College of Music, as well as collaborations with jazz icons including Ernie Watts, Phil Woods, and Freddie Hubbard.
Across a career that spans film, television, orchestral composition, and live performance, Robinson has built a reputation for both technical innovation and emotional storytelling. His work has earned an Emmy Award for KABC’s Above and Below and five BMI Music Awards for Without a Trace, with orchestral recordings performed by members of the London Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and Musica Nova.
A defining turning point came early in his career, when severe tendonitis threatened to end his ability to perform. Working under Phil Cohen at Concordia University’s Leonardo Project, Robinson underwent a radical retraining process—relearning piano technique from the ground up and ultimately developing a completely new physical and musical language. That transformation would later lead to the invention of the Refractor Piano™, a reimagined acoustic instrument that enables fully live, “refracted” performances without the use of MIDI, backing tracks, or external sound sources.
Since debuting the instrument in 2016 at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica, Robinson has presented acclaimed performances at venues including the Vortex Dome and the Museum of Modern Art DTLA. In 2021, he and longtime collaborator Klaus Hoch launched Owl Walk Records, an artist-focused label built around creative independence and cross-disciplinary work.
While much of his recent output has centered on the Refractor Piano™, Excursions signals a deliberate shift inward. Created over a three-year period, the album draws from a deeply personal well, exploring themes of grief, heartbreak, resilience, and renewal. Written during a time marked by both global upheaval and personal loss, the project unfolds as an emotional arc—moving from fracture and despair toward moments of light and quiet optimism.
“These pieces became my outlet,” Robinson explains. “I kept defaulting to the acoustic piano as a way to process grief and sadness. Over time, I realized I was creating a family of music that reflected what I—and many others—were going through.”
Curated alongside Klaus Hoch, the album was shaped from hundreds of recorded sketches into a cohesive audiovisual experience—one that blends sound and imagery into a unified emotional narrative. The title Excursions reflects this structure, with each composition acting as a self-contained journey, a departure into a distinct emotional landscape.
Leading single “Pure Heartbreak” captures the album’s most vulnerable edge, unfolding as a stark meditation on loss and separation. Through delicate, melancholic phrasing, the piece traces the emotional instability of a breakup with unfiltered honesty. Its accompanying visual, directed by Klaus Hoch, presents a cinematic narrative of two lovers drifting apart against the vast backdrop of the California desert.
In contrast, second single “Bent Out of Shape” introduces a brighter, more playful energy. Built around whimsical melodic movements, the composition reflects a conscious turn toward optimism. “I needed an uplifting experience… some positivity,” Robinson shares. “This is the beauty of music—we express our emotions and work out our issues through our art.” Its visual counterpart follows a surreal journey through shared memories, set within a seaside mansion that blurs past and present.
Cinematic yet restrained, Excursions stands as one of Peter Manning Robinson’s most personal works to date. With its balance of romantic melancholy, quiet tension, and reflective hope, the album reinforces his belief in the power of instrumental music to communicate beyond language.
“This is the work I am most proud of,” he says.
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