Peter Boyer

Peter Boyer (born February 10, 1970 in Providence, Rhode Island) is an American composer, conductor, and professor of music. He is known primarily for his orchestral works, which have received over 200 performances, by more than 70 orchestras.

Biography and Work

Boyer received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rhode Island College. While an undergraduate, USA TODAY newspaper named him to its first All-USA College Academic Team (1990), comprised of “the 20 best and brightest” [Pat Ordovensky, “Meet Our Top 20 Scholars,” "USA TODAY", January 19, 1990.] college students in the United States, and he received the Young American Award. He received Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from The Hartt School of the University of Hartford, where he studied composition with Larry Alan Smith and Robert Carl and conducting with Harold Farberman. Boyer then studied privately with composer John Corigliano in New York, before relocating to Los Angeles to attend the Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television Program at the USC Thornton School of Music. There Boyer studied with composers including Elmer Bernstein, David Raksin, Buddy Baker and Christopher Young. On completing his studies in 1996, Boyer was appointed to the faculty of Claremont Graduate University, and in 1999 he was named the first recipient of its Helen M. Smith Chair in Music. In 2003, Boyer established the publishing company Propulsive Music.

Boyer has received a number of significant commissions for his work. Among the many orchestras that have performed Boyer’s works are the Dallas Symphony, Nashville Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Buffalo Philharmonic, Fort Worth Symphony, Virginia Symphony, Hartford Symphony, and Bamberg Symphony. In 2001, Boyer conducted the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios in his debut commercial recording. On its release, Boyer became one of the youngest composers to have an entire album of his orchestral music recorded with a world-class orchestra and distributed by an international record label (Koch). [Jon Burlingame, “Undaunted—and With Good Reason,” "Los Angeles Times", June 24, 2001.] This recording was widely broadcast and acclaimed: “Peter Boyer makes a most impressive debut on disc as composer and conductor of his own music. At its finest, his music is attractive, finely crafted with a genuine humanity, refreshing for being non-didactic in these times of preachy self-importance.” [Lawrence A. Johnson, review, “The Music of Peter Boyer,” "South Florida Sun-Sentinel", August 30, 2002.]

In 2003, Boyer conducted London’s Philharmonia Orchestra in a recording of his work "", later working with a distinguished cast of actors in New York City to complete this recording project, which was released on the Naxos record label. The recording received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Classical Contemporary Composition in the 48th annual Grammy Awards (2006). [Associated Press, “Complete list of Grammy Award nominations,” "USA TODAY", December 8, 2005.] "Ellis Island" has become Boyer’s best-known work, with over 80 performances given by 40 orchestras, and has been much acclaimed: “Peter Boyer’s "Ellis Island: The Dream of America" is a work of rare authenticity and directness.” [Chris Pasles, “Evocative recollections of Ellis Island,” "Los Angeles Times", July 25, 2005.]

In addition to his work for the concert hall, Boyer is active in the film and television music industry. He has composed scores for The History Channel, and has served as an orchestrator for composers such as Michael Giacchino, Michael Kamen, Graeme Revell, and others, on films from Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Touchstone, and Columbia Pictures.

Boyer’s awards include two BMI Student Composer Awards (1994 and 1996), the First Music Carnegie Hall commission of the New York Youth Symphony (1997), the Ithaca College Heckscher Prize in composition (2002), the Alumnus of the Year Award from The Hartt School (2002), and an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Rhode Island College (2004).

Selected Compositions

*"American Rhapsody" for piano and orchestra (2007)
*"Dreaming a World" for narrator, children’s chorus, mixed chorus, percussion and orchestra (2006)
*"And the night shall be filled with music" for chorus and piano (2005)
*"Silver Fanfare" for orchestra (2004)
*"On Music’s Wings" for soprano, baritone, children’s chorus, mixed chorus and orchestra (2003-04)
*"" for actors and orchestra with projected images (2001-02)
*"Ghosts of Troy" for orchestra (2000)
*"New Beginnings" for orchestra (2000)
*"Three Olympians" for string orchestra (2000)
*"At the Crossings" for four brass quartets and four percussion (1998)
*"The Phoenix" for orchestra (1997)
*"Celebration Overture" for orchestra (1997)
*"Titanic" for orchestra (1995)
*"perchance to dream…" for soprano and chamber orchestra (1993-94)
*"Mosaic" for orchestra (1992-93)
*"I Can Recall" for soprano and piano (1990)

References

External links

* [http://www.PropulsiveMusic.com/index.php Propulsive Music: The Music of Peter Boyer official website]
* [http://www.cgu.edu/pages/1097.asp Claremont Graduate University Music Department faculty official website]
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0102083 Peter Boyer] at the Internet Movie Database
* [http://www.crossovermedia.net/index.cfm?fuseaction=artists.details&artistID=69 Peter Boyer at Crossover Media]
* [http://www.gramophone.co.uk/Interviews_detail.asp?id=798 “Peter Boyer: Escape to LA: Ken Smith meets Peter Boyer, and finds a young composer with a very bright future,” "Gramophone" online edition (October 2001)]
* [http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/233249 “Peter Boyer: From Student Composer to the Top of His Class,” Jon Burlingame, "BMI MusicWorld" (November 30, 2001)]