Patrick Roberts is more than a violinist and recording artist. He’s a master craftsman of music. His emotive tracks have been described as contemporary masterpieces and his spectacular live performances are the ultimate expressions of his childhood dreams. And as Porsche celebrates 75 years of creating its own masterpieces, Patrick’s journey and signature sound perfectly echo the origins and aspirations of company founder Ferdinand Porsche.
Reaching music’s highest notes
Patrick Roberts is describing the time he first heard the voice of Grammy Award-winner Sting on his album Fragile. “He was recording his vocals in his studio at home, listening to my violin in his headphones,” he recalls. You can hear his smile as he speaks. “I’ve loved Sting’s music since I was a child so knowing he was recording to my violin made it a very personal experience.”
Patrick Roberts has every reason to be happy. The chart-topping violinist and recording artist has accomplished many of his artistic dreams, some of them in collaboration with the music world’s biggest names.
Prestigious scholarships and Melbourne’s Conservatorium of Music in his early years led him to symphony orchestras and concert orchestras, each of them stops on the long road to the creative heights he enjoys today. It has been a life-changing journey for the globally renowned violinist. And it all began as a child.
“Even at a very young age, I knew that I wanted to be on stage and perform,” he says. “And it was my passion for the violin that made this journey happen.”
It was a dream that took flight thanks to a single fascination.
“I was very curious about the violin as a child. Initially, it was more like a toy with a bow than an instrument with four strings. And it was this curiosity that drew me closer to finding out more about the instrument.
“You might say I was mesmerized by what it could do.”
Grasping the ability to play the violin was one challenge. Performing in front of a live audience was another. “King of the waltz”, André Rieu, the famed Dutch violinist and conductor, inspired the young Patrick with his ability to “truly capture an audience through music and transform them into another world.” It also helped prepare him for his first audience.
“It was part of a variety show in a Melbourne theatre,” he says, recalling his first live performance at the age of eleven. “I can still remember how nervous I was stepping out on stage. But as soon as my bow touched the strings, I felt truly at home.”
“I’ve loved Sting’s music since I was a child so knowing he was recording to my violin made it a very personal experience.” Patrick Roberts, Violinist and Recording Artist
His first taste of a live audience was powerful. “It solidified my yearning to perform concerts around the world,” a dream he then pursued with intensity. That first concert was a turning point for the young Patrick because it sparked one particular feeling which set his music career in motion: “It was the moment I saw the reactions people had after I performed for them.”
That moment still resonates today.
“I can still recall a concert I did back in 2007 where I was performing classical music as the main repertoire. I threw in a few contemporary popular songs during the concert and I remember the reactions from certain audience members; They loved hearing this wider repertoire. It opened my mind to performing all kinds of genres because the violin has no boundaries in music.”
It was evident Patrick had no boundaries, either. The breakthroughs kept coming. His 2007 Australian tour led him to record his first album, Songs From the Heart. His European tour inspired his follow-up album All in Love is Fair. His album Vision debuted at number one on the Classical Crossover charts. He also donated part proceeds from its sales to Vision Australia.
The power of dedication
Arguably his largest breakthrough came when he signed with Sony Music Australia in 2015. The global entertainment giant expanded Patrick’s reach, his music now distributed and streamed across the globe. Patrick dedicated his debut Sony album Pink to his mother, who had survived breast cancer. Partial sales proceeds from the Gold record-selling album were donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation for medical research.
“It takes a long time but signing with one of the major labels was a big highlight for me.”
“The quality of my work must always be the highest achievable, and that also goes for production values and the people I work with." Patrick Roberts, Violinist and Recording Artist
More highlights followed. They included recording an album titled All Out of Love with Australian soft rock legends Air Supply and the Prague Symphony Orchestra, as well as performing live alongside them in Las Vegas. Recording with Australian guitar legend Tommy Emmanuel was another. His seventh studio album Imagine drove his global music success even further. It features a captivating performance of Salt Water alongside Julian Lennon, as well as many of the Beatles’ classics reimagined on the violin.
Patrick wasn’t just reimagining and creating great music with the violin. He was redefining the instrument’s place in the music world.
“I put all my efforts into capturing people's feelings through music,” he says. It’s the reason why so many people embrace his unique sonic signature, a mark he has stamped on his latest major project.
“I've just recently signed with Decca Records (Universal Music) and released my eighth album, titled Fragile, and it features Sting and Tommy Emmanuel. I’ve also recently been performing live with Sting at Chateau de Chambord in France, a beautiful castle in the Loire Valley. Bringing Fragile to so many people in such a magnificent setting has been memorable.”
Patrick is currently preparing for his debut concert in London, scheduled for July this year. A consummate craftsman, he is pushing himself and his team to deliver the kind of music and performance excellence his audiences adore.
“The quality of my work must always be the highest achievable, and that also goes for production values and the people I work with. They have to be masters of their craft.”
His disciplined Porsche-like approach has helped distinguish him in the music world. His ethos makes even more sense when you discover his love for the Seal Grey Metallic 911 Carrera 4S in his garage.
He describes his dream ride as “a smartly dressed athlete.” His excitement is obvious when he says “Owning and enjoying it has drawn me even closer to Porsche.”
"I’m immediately at home in the Taycan, especially in the cabin. And its performance is phenomenal.” Patrick Roberts, Violinist and Recording Artist
That feeling is magnified when he gets behind the wheel of the Taycan, Porsche’s first all-electric sportscar.
“I’m immediately at home in the Taycan, especially in the cabin. And its performance is phenomenal.”
Patrick should know. Performing is his life. Along with his emotive music, it’s how he captivates so many people around the world.
And the secret behind it all?
“Learning who I am as performer,” he says, “Some artists try to be someone else, but once I found my unique self as a musician, I wasn’t restrained. I created my own signature sound, one with its own emotive appeal.”
Just like Ferdinand Porsche did, 75 years ago.
Info
Visit patrickrobertsofficial.com to discover more about Patrick Roberts.
Images: Simon Anderson
Videography: Affluent Media
Music: ‘Now We Are Free’ by Patrick Roberts, Fragile Album.
