In 1993 Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) bassist Rick Robinson began to build what became the CutTime Productions artistic-mission-enterprise printing his first editions for solo bass. Over 16 years it grew large, flexible, and bold enough to extend symphonic music professionally as either very casual or very traditional concerts. Encouraged by a Kresge Artist Fellowship and the Classical Revolution movement in 2010, Robinson began bringing his growing library of transcriptions and award-winning compositions for his two CutTime ensembles to the masses in bars, clubs, and coffeehouses during the 6-month DSO labor dispute.
The next year, after the death of his father and the hallowing artistic turnover following the settlement, Robinson committed himself to develop and share CutTime® nationally, and in 2012 he resigned his DSO position after 22 years. Since then he has won the continuous support of two generous DSO board members to travel the country and lead freelancers, students, and orchestra members to make classical music more accessible, practical, and fun in clubs, restaurants, offices, homes, and even the streets.
In 2013 Crain’s Detroit Business recognized him with a social entrepreneur award, saying, “Robinson is bringing classical music to the masses— which may be one of the most challenging jobs in all of music.”
In 2015 CutTime Productions matched a $30,000 Knight Arts Challenge Grant for his Classical Revolution Detroit series (2010-2022), and Detroit Free Press Music Critic Mark Stryker wrote:
Robinson has been an innovative force in bringing chamber ensembles into nontraditional venues and classrooms, mixing it up with a variety of creative repertoire and generally proving that classical music belongs not on the fringes of contemporary culture but at the heart of everyday life.