Robert Tempest (composer)

Robert Tempest (1868, Philadelphia – March 21, 1955, Carlisle, Pennsylvania) was an American composer and concert pianist. He studied piano in his native city with Carl Von Amsburg and Edward Zerdebely. His papers are held in the collection of the Cumberland County Historical Society. He was known for his exceptional gift for memorization, with a July 1898 article in The Musician reporting he had more than 1800 works in his performance repertoire, all of which he could play from memory. As early as October 1887 Tempest was giving concerts at Philadelphia’s Assembly Hall. He played in concerts at other Philadelphia venues, such as Musical Fund Hall, Hermann’s Broad Street Theatre, and the Haseltine Galleries. With the violinist Edwin Brill he gave a recital at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in December 1889. In 1890 he performed in concerts with the soprano Marie Kunkel and pianist Max Weil. As part of the chamber group The Schumann Club, he performed in chamber music concerts at the New Century Club. In 1895 he gave a public recital sponsored by the Philadelphia piano manufacturer CJ Heppe & Son. In January 1896 Tempest was a soloist with the Germania Orchestra (precurso