Robert Milne is an acclaimed pianist, composer, and author whose career spans more than six decades. Celebrated as one of the finest ragtime and boogie-woogie pianists of his era, he has performed for audiences ranging from small-town listeners to dignitaries and international cultural leaders. His artistry earned him recognition as a National Treasure by the Library of Congress and an Ambassador of Music by the U.S. Department of State. His remarkable musical mind has also been the subject of brain studies and a widely known RadioLab feature.

 

Beyond music, Milne is an accomplished writer whose work includes articles, poetry, songs, and the grand opera "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." A lifelong student of nature and animal behavior, he draws inspiration from the instincts shared by all living creatures—a fascination that informs his fiction. Now retired from touring, he lives in a woodland home where he continues to write and study the natural world.

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Milne’s creative life extends well beyond performance. He has written articles, poetry, lyrics, and long-form narrative work, including the novel Turtle Lake and the earlier collection The Journeyman Piano Player. Across forms, his work is marked by observation, wit, discipline, and a deep fascination with the instincts that shape both animal and human behavior.

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Today, from his woodland home in Michigan, he continues to study nature and pursue the ideas that have long informed both his music and his writing.