Robert Schubert is Lecturer in Woodwind at the Victorian College of the Arts. He studied clarinet with James Campbell at the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto, Canada and with James Morton (Principal Clarinet, National Arts Orchestra of Canada) from 1983 to 1984, and then with Larry Combs (Principal Clarinet, Chicago Symphony Orchestra). In 1988 Hiroyuki Iwaki appointed him Principal Clarinet with the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, Japan, a position he held until his return to Australia in 1996.
Robert appeared frequently as soloist with Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa and has recorded on the Deutsche Gramophone, Victor and Sony labels. Also during this time in Japan, he performed as guest clarinetist with the NHK Orchestra in Tokyo and was guest principal clarinet with the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra. In 1991, Robert was a finalist in the Tokyo International Clarinet Competition.
Since returning to Australia, Robert has performed with the Melbourne Symphony , Orchestra Victoria, in the Melbourne International Festival and in live broadcasts for the ABC. An interest in contemporary music has led to composers including Mark Pollard, Julian Yu, Chan Hae Lee, Tetsuya Nishibe and Peter Tahourdin composing works for him, many of which have been recorded and broadcast by ABC Classic FM.
In 2008 Robert qualified as a teacher of the Alexander Technique which, alongside the pedagogy of the late Arnold Jacobs (Chicago Symphony Tubist), is a major influence in his performing and teaching.