Rob Hall studied music on the joint course at Manchester University and the Royal Northern College of Music, prioritising composition and clarinet, and later, saxophone. In his first term he won a composition competition judged by Sir James MacMillan who gave him much encouragement. Gaining further awards including the Proctor Gregg Performance Award and the Terence Greaves Award for Big Band Writing, he then won a scholarship to Berklee College of Music USA, primarily to study jazz.
He has built a diverse catalogue with many commissions, writing for choirs, chamber and jazz orchestras solo works, small groups, and multi-media work. His music has been performed in such venues as the Royal Festival Hall and Barbican in London, the Martin Harris Centre and RNCM Concert Hall in Manchester, and the Royal Concert Hall and University Concert Hall in Glasgow. A piano commission from ABRSM received worldwide publication in 2017-18 Piano Exam Pieces with a further arrangement included in the 2021-22 piano syllabus.
Cross-artform projects have seen him collaborate with artist James Hawkins, digital visual artist John McGeogh and sculptress and photographer Susheila Jamieson with performances at the Highland Festival and Edinburgh International Jazz Festival.
As a leader and co-leader he has released nine albums of original and improvised music for the British contemporary music label FMR, also the main recording outlet for a longstanding partnership with pianist and composer Chick Lyall.
