Role

:

Composer Conductor

Birth

:

February 10, 1970 in Providence, RI

Genre

:

Orchestral

 

Peter Boyer is a contemporary American composer known for his works in the classical music genre. Born on February 11, 1970, in Providence, Rhode Island, Boyer grew up in a family of musicians. His father was a jazz pianist, and his mother was a singer. Boyer started playing the piano at the age of five and later learned to play the trumpet. Boyer attended Rhode Island College, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in trumpet performance. He then went on to study composition at the New England Conservatory of Music, where he earned a Master of Music degree. Boyer also studied at the University of Southern California, where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition. Boyer's early works were influenced by the music of Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein. His first major work, "Three Olympians," was premiered by the Boston Pops Orchestra in 1997. The piece was inspired by the ancient Greek gods Zeus, Apollo, and Poseidon and featured a brass section and percussion. Boyer's breakthrough work came in 2000 with his "Ellis Island: The Dream of America" composition. The piece was commissioned by the Pacific Symphony Orchestra and tells the story of immigrants who passed through Ellis Island in the early 20th century. The work features narration, video, and music and has been performed by numerous orchestras across the United States. Boyer's other notable works include "Silver Fanfare," which was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic for the opening of the Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2003. The piece features a brass section and percussion and has been described as a celebration of the new concert hall. In 2006, Boyer composed "The Titanic Symphony," which was commissioned by the Pasadena Symphony Orchestra. The piece tells the story of the Titanic's ill-fated voyage and features a large orchestra and choir. The work has been performed by numerous orchestras across the United States and has received critical acclaim. Boyer's other works include "Celebration Overture," "Rolling River," and "New Beginnings." He has also composed music for film and television, including the theme for the CBS Evening News. Boyer has received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series in 2010 for his work on the PBS documentary "The Pacific War in Color." He has also received the Leonard Bernstein Award from the ASCAP Foundation and the Aaron Copland Award from the Copland House. Boyer is currently a professor of music at Claremont Graduate University in California and serves as the composer-in-residence for the Pasadena Symphony Orchestra. He continues to compose new works and is considered one of the leading composers of his generation.

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