THE COMPOSER
Peter's music can be obtained through the CANADIAN MUSIC CENTRE
Links are provided for some of these compositions, listed below
Peter's new Cello Sonata, a commission for Scotia Festival of Music 2019 was premiered in early June with Peter at the piano and Quebec Symphony Orchestra Principal Cellist Blair Lofgren.
He has fulfilled many commissions for varying instrumentations. Orchestral works include a Suite for Clarinet and Orchestra, Variations on the Halifax Explosion, Mar Atlantico and the Hurricane Juan Piano Concerto. His chamber music includes a String Quartet, Scherzo for 4 Celli, Hungarian Rhapsody for 2 pianos, Vaudeville for Piano (6 hands), Clarinet Quintet (clarinet and string quartet) and Black and Blues for Clarinet and Piano. He has written 2 pieces for flute and piano; Waltz, and Scenes from Nova Scotia. Other works include music for band as well as for choir and other groups. Peter had the honour of being the only musical composition finalist for the 2006 N.S. Lieutenant Governor's Masterworks Award for his orchestral work "Variations on the Halifax Explosion", commissioned by the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra.
Peter is a member of SOCAN and an Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Centre (CMC). He is also a member of The Living Composers Project.
Hurricane Juan Piano Concerto was commissioned by CBC Radio 2 and was world-premiered by Symphony Nova Scotia on their 25th season’s opening concert with Peter as soloist. Performances were on September 25th and 28th, 2008 in Halifax, and again for St. Cecilia Concert Series in Lunenburg, NS on October 3rd, 2008.
The world premiere was broadcast on CBC Radio 2’s Sunday Afternoon in Concert nationally on September 28, 2008, the actual day of the 5th anniversary of the storm. This work was listed for a year on CBC’s Concerts on Demand. Since then, Peter has performed this work with both the PEI Symphony and Symphony New Brunswick.
His orchestral work Mar Atlantico was given its Canadian premiere by Symphony Nova Scotia under the baton of Bernhard Gueller on the stage of the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on April 28th, 2003, to rave reviews. Mar Atlantico was subsequently programmed for Halifax audiences in January, 2005.
LARGER WORKS
2008 “Hurricane Juan” Piano Concerto
2004 Suite for Clarinet and Strings
2003 Variations On the Halifax Explosion for Orchestra
2002 Overture for Choir and Band (SATB)
2001 Mar Atlantico for Orchestra
2000 A Song for St. Cecilia for A Cappela Chorus (SATB)
CHAMBER COMPOSITIONS
2019 Cello Sonata
2016 Lamantation for Clarinet & String Quartet
2013 Scenes from Nova Scotia (flute/piano)
2012 Vaudeville for 6 Hands, one piano
2005 String Quartet
2000 Black and Blues for Clarinet & Piano
2000 Trio for Violin, Viola & Cello
1999 Haligonian Rhapsody for Two Pianos
1999 Toccata for Piano, Violin & Cello
1987 Scherzo for Four Celli
1986 Elegy for Violin and Piano
PIANO COMPOSITIONS
2015 Ballade
2012 Vaudeville for Six Hands, One Piano
2004 Etude
1999 Haligonian Rhapsody for Two Pianos
1985 85 Bagatelles
1983 Four Studies in Mood
1983 Blue Jay Rag
1982 Concert Etude
1982 Sonatina
1982 Prelude and Three Reflections
1981 Two Improvisations
1981 Rhapsody
1981 Romantic Fantasy
1981 Five Little Studies
1981 Five Pieces for Children
1980 Nocturne
1980 Fantasie
1980 Sonata in A minor
1980 Three Preludes
1979 Four Preludes