Background

Peter Wiegold was born 1949 in Ilford, Essex. He studied at the University College of Wales, and at Durham University with David Lumsdaine. On leaving Durham he founded the ensemble Gemini, and began a professional life performing and composing.

He became Composer-in-Residence at the Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol, and together with Gemini, became one of the pioneers of creative workshop leading in Britain involving children, actors, dancers, professional musicians, and non-musicians in practical, creative music -making. Soon after this he was appointed lecturer in composition at Sussex University (1979).

After writing several large-scale pieces, for example Gemini and The Flowers Appear on the Earth, he spent some 15 years exploring alternative forms of music- making, writing few fully scored works. Instead he studied Indian music and gamelan music, playing with leading Indian musicians in the Gemini-Bhavan Ensemble and in the English Gamelan Orchestra. During the mid-eighties Peter worked with improvisation, cabaret and theatre, particularly with his ensemble Turning Point. In 1985 he became Artistic Director of the innovative ‘Performance and Communication Skills' Department of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. This offered an opportunity to work with a post-graduate ensemble of 15-20 musicians in a completely open curriculum, into which he was able to bring theatre, Tai Chi, Latin percussion, non-Western music, improvisation, composition, creative leadership,  thoroughly investigating and exploring the skills, creative processes, and aesthetic approaches needed for young musicians emerging into the plural culture of today. Many of these students have themselves gone on to become successful artists and workshop leaders themselves, such as Oren Marshall (tuba) Matthew Barley (cellist), Fraser Trainer (composer), Lincoln Abbotts (flute, BBC Projects Manager), Jackie Walduck (composer) Helena Gaunt, (Wind Department, Guildhall School of Music and Drama), Sean Gregory (Head of Connect, Guildhall), Paul Griffiths (guitar, workshop leader), Tim Steiner (workshop leader).

In (1996) Peter took up an appointment as Lecturer in composition, with John Woolrich at Royal Holloway, University of London. He became freelance 1998-2003, combining his principal interests of composer, conductor and creative director. Since 2003 he has been Professor, Head of Music Research at Brunel University, London, combining this with freelance activities.

Recent biographical information can be found here.