Peter Lawson composer / arranger

Peter Lawson is tutor in Piano and tutor in Contemporary Piano. Born in Manchester, he studied there with Derrick Wyndham, Clifton Helliwell and Sulamita Aronovsky. He has since appeared as soloist with most British orchestras, frequently broadcasting for radio 3 and TV as well as giving recitals throughout the UK and playing in Holland, France, Belgium, Italy, Denmark, Luxembourg, Japan and Russia.

With a repertoire stretching from the baroque to contemporary jazz, Peter’s many commercial recordings reflect a particular interest in 20th century music and include Satie (for EMI and awarded a Silver Disc), American Sonatas (2 volumes for Virgin Classics include works by Ives, Carter, Barber, Griffes and Copland) and Michael Nyman’s concerto (with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra), all receiving outstanding reviews and a number of awards in the national press.

He has also recorded 2 CDs with Rob Buckland (saxophone) and with the Equivox Trio (with Rob Buckland and Simone Rebello, percussion), Tango5 (recreating the tango quintets of Piazzolla) and the recorder player John Turner with whom he has collaborated on many recordings of British music.

As a recipient of a prestigious Churchill Fellowship, Peter spent 6 weeks touring the USA, researching repertoire and meeting a wide range of composers and performers. In the UK he has worked with and premiered works by Oliver Knussen, Elisabeth Lutyens, Hans Werner Henze, Anthony Gilbert, Edward Cowie, David Lumsdaine amongst many others.

Peter returns to take classes at Chetham’s School of Music where he was a senior piano tutor and careers advisor for many years. Alongside his work at the RNCM, Peter is an examiner for the Associated Board and at various times, external examiner at Sheffield, Manchester, Huddersfield, Edinburgh-Napier universities and Birmingham Conservatoire.