William Robin Zemp, III

Robin Zemp, Director of Music Emeritus at Westminster Presbyterian Church, noted pianist and educator, died November 1, 2024 after a long battle with interstitial lung disease.

Baptized William Robin Zemp, III, he was a Fourth of July baby, born in 1953 in Camden, South Carolina to William Robin Zemp, Jr. and Jacqueline Steele Sharpe Zemp. He displayed an early affinity for performing, acting in his first community theatre production at age 10, accompanying choirs at age 12, and playing his first solo piano recital at 15.

He earned Bachelor and Master of Music degrees at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, studying with Walter Hautzig who became his life-long mentor and friend. After graduation, he returned to South Carolina and established himself as a performer, teacher, and church musician. The South Carolina Arts Commission awarded him its Performing Arts Fellowship in 1984. That same year, he made his New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall. The New York Times praised his "intriguing coloristic effects" and "strong, firm, and secure" playing.

In 1986 he moved to Charleston "simply because I wanted to live here." He quickly became an integral part of the musical community as the Coordinator of the Piccolo Spoleto Musica da Camera Series and in collaborations with the Charleston Symphony, Charleston Ballet Theatre, Robert Ivey Ballet, Charleston Pro Musica, and others.

He joined the faculty of the College of Charleston School of the Arts in 1994. In addition to the teaching and coaching, he enjoyed immensely the academic advising aspect of his job. He took great delight in guiding students through the maze of curriculum requirements. He was a pioneer in the College's Distance Education program, designing one of the first online courses and serving as a mentor in online training instruction. He retired from the College in 2020.

He also maintained a private studio for 46 years. His students received many awards and honors, with several going on to become professional musicians. During that time, he was active in the Music Teachers National Association and its state and local affiliates. He served as President, South Carolina Music Teachers Association, 2002-2004, and President, Charleston Music Teachers Association, 1995-1997. He received the SCMTA Distinguished Service Award in 2006 and 2022 and was named the Association's Teacher of the Year in 2019. He was honored as a Music Teachers National Association Foundation Fellow in 2011 for making significant contributions to the music world and the music teaching profession.

Always important in his life was his music ministry. In a career spanning over four decades, he served as Director of Music and Organist at Lakeview Baptist Church, Camden, 1977-1986; First United Methodist Church, Isle of Palms, 1986-2002; and Westminster Presbyterian Church, Charleston, 2002-2024. He particularly enjoyed hymn playing and felt called to lead God's people in song.

In addition to numerous roles with the South Carolina and Charleston Music Teachers Associations, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County and the Board of Directors of the Carolina Basset Hound Rescue, Inc., serving as President 2019-2023. He was a member of the American Guild of Organists and of Westminster Presbyterian Church.

His passions in life were opera, gardening, and, surprisingly, database design. Some of his last travels were to see complete productions of Wagner's Ring Cycle in New York and Washington, D.C. He lovingly planned, developed, and tended his garden for 34 years. In the early days he connected online with other gardeners and travelled across the country from Vermont to Oregon to meet and tour their gardens. With typical disdain, he dismissed personal computers when they became popular, but soon succumbed to the allure of coding and created databases and programs to benefit his favorite organizations.

He is survived by his sister, Jacqueline Zemp Powell of Alexandria, VA, to whom he was deeply grateful for the loving care she gave him during his illness, and nephews Ethan Capers Burrous Powell and Robert Eric Powell. He was predeceased by his brother, John Steele Zemp, and his parents.

A Service of Witness to the Resurrection will be held Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at 2pm in Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1157 Sam Rittenberg Boulevard. Interment will be Thursday, November 7, 2024, 11am, in Quaker Cemetery, 713 Meeting Street, Camden, SC.

Memorial gifts may be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church, wpccharleston.org, or to Carolina Basset Hound Rescue, Inc., CBHR.com.

Arrangements by J. Henry Stuhr, Inc., West Ashley Chapel.