'Winter Sketch No 4' for flute and guitar, here performed by the Roberts/Mackenzie Duo taken from the c.d. 'Connections.'

Winter Sketches No 4

Peter’s musical eloquence has brought his work to the attention of orchestras and performers across Europe and the U.S.A, where his music has been recorded, broadcast and performed. His music crosses boundaries: a melange of sounds, bringing together elgarian melody and jazz harmony and rock rhythms. Peter’s musical apprenticeship was served as choirmaster, theatre M.D., teacher and performer, as well as composer.

Past commissions include pieces for the Kreisler Duo (violin and piano), “Three Way Mirror”, “Spring in Harderwijk” Utrecht Chamber Orchestra, “Phantasy Serenade” Ensemble 315, “Divertimento” (Children’s Orchestra) “Prayer 2001” (children’s choir and piano), “Summer Reflections” (bouzouki and strings) “Brass Sextet” Yorkshire Classic Brass and “Winter Sketches” (guitar and flute) Roberts/MacKenzie Duo

In 2011 he had four premieres; “ Berwick Variations” for solo guitar, “ Three Ages of a City” for guitar and orchestra, “ Lizst’s Lost Love” for piano and “ Beyond the Sound of the Sea” for three cellos and numerous other concerts of his works.

Commissions and premieres for 2012 included; “Three Songs” for baritone and piano, “A Suffolk Serenade” for tenor, horn and strings and “Landscape With Trees” for guitar quartet. “Four Quarters” for soprano and small orchestra, “Annabelle’s New Life” for solo guitar. “Inner Circle” for Two Pianos and Percussion and “C Music Hear Music 2” a work for Brass Quintet. He was invited to speak at the first International Composers Festival, where his piano concerto “After the Snow” was performed.

Current projects include “Sounds Lyrical” - collaborating with poets, “Sound Gallery” - showcasing contemporary composers, working on musical arrangements for recordings and concerts by pop/rock bands and a commission for Italian virtuoso guitarist  Giulio Tampalini.  Peter’s work will be performed by Hastings Sinfonia and Osaka Concert Orchestra at the second International Composers Festival, where he will also be speaking. He is a regular contributor to the Late Music Festival, where his work ‘What Goes Around .... Comes Around’ (viola and piano) was performed by Rosalind Ventris and Lara Dodds-Eden. 

Peter was composer in residence at Utrecht Chamber Orchestra and is visiting lecturer at York St. John University and Leeds College of Music.
He is also composer in residence to Converge at York St John University.


Winter Sketches No 4

Peter Byrom-Smith