Bio
Peter Robb is a composer, lyricist, and conductor whose musical influences and output span gospel to musical theatre, orchestral to progressive rock, and choral music from the cathedral to the classroom to the concert hall to street corner a cappella.
Choral commissions from community choirs, all-state choruses, and churches have introduced his music to the wider choral community. Performance high points by choirs of all ages across North America and around the world include ACDA and MENC state, regional, and national honor choirs, and a variety of venues like Carnegie Hall and cathedrals in Europe and Asia, including Canterbury Cathedral and Leipzig’s Thomaskirche.
Peter grew up singing, playing, and composing music at home, school, and church. He studied Music Composition and English Literature at Wheaton College. His early career as a musician included teaching music in elementary through high school, performing as a singer/songwriter and with several bands, working with the Phoenix Boys Choir, composing and producing four musical theatre productions, and his initial experiences as a published composer and arranger of choral music.
After more than a decade, Peter took a break from composing and performing when offered a graduate teaching fellowship at University of Oregon School of Music, where he earned a MMus in Choral Conducting.
After graduating from UO, Peter became co-founder and artistic/executive director of picfest (Pacific International Choral Festivals), one of the top-tier youth choral festivals in North America. Since 1998, his collaborations with Henry Leck, Sandra Snow, Bob Chilcott, Andrea Ramsey, Moira Smiley, Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, Doreen Rao, Susan Brumfield, jazz legends the Yellowjackets, and many more have resulted in twenty-six choral festivals, featuring 180 youth choirs from 40 states and provinces in five countries. The weeklong events are held each summer in Eugene, Oregon in partnership with the renowned Oregon Bach Festival.
For thirteen of those years, Peter also led Oregon Festival Choirs, often preparing treble ensembles for the Oregon Bach Festival and other professional performing arts organizations, including work with conductors Helmuth Rilling, Matthew Halls and Marin Alsop.
Peter’s choral compositions and arrangements are published with Hal Leonard, Colla Voce, and Peter Robb Music.
For more information, visit peterrobbmusic.com
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