Composer

Biography

Peter Adams is a Senior Lecturer in the Music Department of the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Peter was educated in Dunedin, completing a Mus.B with First Class Honours in 1981 majoring in composition, conducting and clarinet performance. A Commonwealth Scholarship took him to London and King’s College where he completed a M.Mus in Theory and Analysis and studied clarinet with Georgina Dobree and conducting with John Carewe.

Since returning to Dunedin to take up his post at the university, Peter has built up a fine reputation as a conductor and musical director working all around the country. He was musical director of the City of Dunedin Choir for ten years from 1987 to 1996; performing nearly fifty concerts of the major choir and orchestra repertoire (with the Southern Sinfonia). He has been musical director for three past Opera Otago productions and five opera productions at the University of Otago.

He has conducted the Southern Sinfonia on many occasions, has a long association with St Kilda Brass and has been a guest conductor with choirs and orchestras all around New Zealand.

As a composer, Peter works in two areas: creative work as a composer of art music for voices and instruments and electroacoustic music. He has works for brass band, orchestra, choir, chamber pieces and electroacoustic works to his credit. Since 2000 he has made many arrangements of music for brass, including four song accompaniments for concerts with Jonathan Lemalu and Anna Leese, three hymn arrangements and three carols, and two light music numbers. His most recent work ‘Concerto Burlesca’ for violin and brass band was premiered in Dunedin on August 17, 2007. (July 2007)