Published: October 27, 2025
On October 23rd, soprano Ocean Robbins captivated audiences in the Crewe Center for the Arts Performance Hall with Everything’s Coming Up Ocean!, an imaginative and evocative recital that showcased his artistry and creativity. Robbins, a student of Professor Mary Letellier and Professor Scott Wheatley, was joined by Wheatley as his collaborative pianist for an evening that flowed seamlessly between the classical and new art song.
Robbins began with Johann Adolf Hasse’s O placido il mare, establishing a serene maritime theme that would guide the recital. He then explored the legendary tale of the Lorelei through two contrasting settings: Franz Liszt’s dramatic Die Lorelei and Clara Schumann’s hauntingly lyrical Lorelei. This thread continued in Johannes Brahms’s Am Strande, performed with soprano Emily Hayes.
The program celebrated the sea in all its expressive forms. Listeners were treated to Pietro Cimara’s Stornellata marinara and Ernesto de Curtis’s beloved Torna a Surriento, both delivered with warmth and emotional sincerity. Robbins also brought vivid color to Tchaikovsky’s Selza drozhit, Pauline Viardot Garcia En mer, and Arthur Honegger’s whimsical Trois chansons de “La Petite Sirène”, each piece revealing another layer of Robbins’s expressive depth.
Embodying the spirit of the evening’s maritime muse, Robbins appeared in a stunning green gown and a cascade of golden curls, evoking the mythical Lorelei herself. His performance was not only musically captivating but theatrically inspired, blending elegance, humor, and sincerity.
A highlight of the evening was the closing with a presentation by Robbins of three new works from his own Rainbow Art Song Project, an initiative dedicated to commissioning and performing art songs that celebrate trans voices. The selections Afraid by Ziggy Merrill, Politeness by Rosśa Crean, and Possibility by Joseph N. Rubinstein showcased a compelling blend of vulnerability, wit, and hope, affirming Robbins’s place as both performer and advocate for modern song.
Everything’s Coming Up Ocean! was a celebration of voice, imagination, and identity, a testament to Robbins’s artistry and the ever-expanding possibilities of the art song tradition. More information can be found about contributing to the Rainbow Art Song Project as well as accessing its music for free at www.rainbowartsongproject.org.
