 Eric Peterson is a New York City-based conductor with a background in both instrumental and theatrical conducting. He has worked with the Big Apple Corps concert band, the Queer Urban Orchestra, Blue Hill Troupe, Troupers Light Opera and the Savoynet Performing Group, among others. He is also a hornist, accompanist, vocal coach and arranger. See sidebar for information and services provided, and the blog below for upcoming performances. Contact: info@ericpetersonmusic.com |
Eric Peterson Music Services
Spring and Summer 2022
Sorry this is late, hoards of readers. The 2021-22 season was the first time I've played horn for a whole season with a group in... decades? But I played almost all of the QUO season, and got a lot of warhorses under my belt for the first time: Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, Sibelius's Second Symphony. Plus some really interesting new repertoire by trans and non-binary composers. We had a couple of concerts cancelled because of COVID (I was really looking forward to another go at Tchaikovsky 4). And then we were rehearsing for our fun June "Gay-La" program, including the Star Wars suite... and I had to drop out. My beloved spouse, Charles, had been dealing with health problems for about a year, and a week before Memorial Day, he passed away unexpectedly. This was as devastating as you could expect, and, as you can imagine, my life has been mostly about that since then. I'm functioning OK, for the most part, and my friends and family have been marvelously supportive. But Charles and I had shared our lives for 27 years and it's a complete sea change to now have to go it alone. His memorial site is here. However, aside from personal tragedy, things are looking up on a music front. I will be music-directing again next summer at the Gilbert & Sullivan festival, and may have another show this upcoming spring. I will go into more detail in a later post. |
Winter 2022
 I did play TubaChristmas at Rockefeller Center, debuting my Rescue Baritone. It was a hoot! But the Tchaikovsky 4 concert the next week got cancelled at the last minute due to the COVID Omicron wave. That was very frustrating for all concerned... we were so ready. We also ended up cancelling the January chamber music concert (I was to conduct a large brass choir). But we are on target to start rehearsals for the Symphony Fantastique concert in March, so that's good. Not much else going on, trying to stay indoors (it's cold) and not get sick. |
Fall/Winter 2021-2022
Not good about updating this, sorry. Of course, there was no performing happening, but in the fall things started to open up! I've been a regular sub in the horn section for the Queer Urban Orchestra (QUO(), and played my first-ever Beethoven Fifth in October. We're now in rehearsal for Tchaikowsky 4. Here's the list of my upcoming performances:
TubaChristmas at Rockefeller Center, Sun Dec. 12th. 3:30. I'll be playing a baritone horn I rescued from an antique shop this summer.
QUO: "The Fate of Destiny". Dec. 18 https://www.queerurbanorchestra.org/product/join-us-for-the-... I'm in the horn section. Tchaikovsky 4!
QUO: "Early Rituals" (QUOtets chamber concert) Jan 22. I'm conducting the brass choir. QUO: "Exquisite Energy", Mar. 12, 2022 Berlioz: Symphony Fantastique (I've never played this one either!) There are also mutterings about some interesting possibilities for theater work in the next season or two - stay tuned! |
Spring 2021
Still not much going on here, but I can't believe I forgot to post this to EPMS weeks ago: Notable because I worked on that movement for ten months. I did the last movement of the sonata in college and put together the (short) middle movement last year, but I've been delighted by and dancing around this movement for essentially my entire 'career' as a pianist. Or, more accurately, 'musician who plays the piano'. The sinkhole was this running left-hand passage:  Not only was that tricky, I also found the right hand tricky, with all the sustains. I'd forget to pick one finger up somewhere along the way and my right fingers would end up in a knot. ANYWAY... I worked it out. My hope is that at some point, I'll turn on Facebook Live and play the whole sonata to whoever happens to be around. I hope to have at least one, and possibly two inventions ready to record soon. And I'm working now on the Minute Waltz and the First Arabesque, fun! No gigs yet, but things are opening up. And very busy, in a good way, at my 9-5 job. |
I bought a toy!
Yes, it's a chunk of plastic that plays (sort of) like a baritone horn! I'm going to be recording some trumpet etudes with this thing, as well as my piston-valve instruments that I pulled out of the closet for cleaning this weekend. Oh, also recorded another invention, huzzah! |
Two More Inventions
The C minor took a lot of work, it's very tricky. The D Major sort of fell together. Now it'll just be Xmas music until the new year, but the D minor is coming along nicely, that'll probably be next. |
Holidays 2020
Or "A hunkered-down holiday". My father was supposed to come visit us over Thanksgiving, and I was supposed to go visit him and my brother for their mid-December birthdays this week, but rising COVID cases made both of those trips a Bad Idea. Well, there is light at the end of the tunnel: vaccinations started yesterday, and we have Jan. 20 to look forward to. Thanksgiving was just us two, then, carving into individual game hens (very tasty). But of the joyous Thanksgiving experiences was seeing my beloved Big Apple Corps marching band make their debut in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade! (after some forty years of trying to get in) So here's the deal, if you've never been involved in an LGBTX-identified musical organization, you may not understand why having a Gay Marching Band is a big deal. It's functionally equivalent to any other marching band, right? just more rainbows on the flags and more male twirlers. But the importance of seeing something as wholesomely normal as a gay marching band on TV, for those kids struggling with their identity, especially in flyover states, cannot be underestimated. Visibility has always been our key to acceptance. And reading the Twitter reactions to the band's appearance, including such spot-on statements as "I cannot imagine how helpful it would have been to see something like this in high school", had me leaking tears as I scrolled through. So... I am so proud of them, and so proud of the work that they and all outreach performance organizations do. Because it Makes a Difference. --- I haven't recorded any inventions in a while, but I have three of them that are close to ready - hope to get at least one up this week. In the meantime, here's a holiday treat: I can then start work on a short piano version of the Sugar Plum Fairy, maybe that will come up soon too! Happy Holidays to all who see this! |
Fall 2020
Despite best intentions, haven't been good about keeping this up. But of course there are no gigs or performances. However: - I was awarded third place in the opera division (professional) for The American Prize! - After over a half year of unemployment, I got a new 9-5 job at the Practising Law Institute! - Me and mine remain healthy, knock wood. I also have spent more time at the piano in the last few months than in a long long time. Here are some more videos I recorded. I can now pretty much play (under tempo) all the 2-part inventions, and will record each as I get it up to speed. |
American Prize Finals
I've been moved up to the finals for the American Prize in Opera Conducting (professional division)! Announcement here. We all remain locked down in NYC, but me and mine are still healthy, knock on wood. I've been spending more time at the piano than I have in years. (Note: I would never describe myself as a 'pianist'.) I'm working on all the Two-Part Inventions in a rotating schedule and when one is ready, I record it and take it off the list. Also using some easy Scarlatti as 'palate cleansers'. Working on some bigger pieces too, I'll post them when they're ready. What else have I got to do? |
Hunkered Down
My, a good deal has happened, hasn't it? Like everyone else, C and I are hunkered down at home. My gigs, such as they were have been cancelled. I'm spending more time at the piano than I have in years. I'm doing a casual, yet structured, run at the 2-part inventions (some of which have been under my fingers at some point or other). I'm going to post them one at a time as they get solidified. In the meantime, here's something I did for my mom, who we lost three months ago. |
1-10 of 51