Robert Barto is an American lutenist best known for his performances of Renaissance and Baroque repertoire. With a major in historical lute performance, Barto graduated from the University of California, San Diego. On receiving a Fulbright scholarship, he pursued studies with Michael Schäffer in Cologne, Germany, and with Eugen Müller-Dombois in Basle, Switzerland. He won the International Lute Competition in Toronto in 1984, as well as taking top prize in the Musica Antiqua Bruges in Belgium. His performances have taken him to major cities, including New York, London, Utrecht, Munich, and Dresden. A member of the faculty of the Lute Society of America summer school, Barto has given master classes around the world. He has become known as a specialist in the works of the 18th century German lutenist and composer Silvius Leopold Weiss and has recorded music by Weiss and his younger contemporary, composer, violinist, and lutenist Bernhard Joachim Hagen. Barto has recorded for Naxos, Symphonia, and Pan Classics.