'His music is truly original, his scores are little miracles' (Judith Weir, Master of the King's Music)

'One of the most poetic of UK composers' (Bath International Music Festival)

'Unpretentious, full of delight and wonder, funny and beautiful' (Richard Benjafield, head of Wind/Percussion, Guildhall School of Music)

 

Peter McGarr (b.1953, Manchester, UK) is influenced by the landscape and changing culture of Northern England. His music inhabits a world of of seasonal rituals, regional myth and historical memories. He follows in a long tradition of artists and poets who have interpreted this landscape.

 

'An epic and amazing piece' (Joanna MacGregor, 'Eleven Nights with Glenn Gould')

'His music inhabits a unique, delicate sound world' (BBC Radio 3)

 

Performances and commissions feature from many of he world's leading performers and festivals including BBC Proms, Ensemble Bash, London Sinfonietta, BBC Philharmonic, Joanna MacGregor, Brodsky Quartet and the Glastonbury, Huddersfield, Spitalfields and the Bath and Edinburgh festivals.

 

'Immense and fabulous'  (Aled Jones, 40-part motet 'Lindisfarne Love Song')

'Intricate tonal lines brought the whole piece into a choral tour de force' (Edinburgh Evening News, 'Love Remains')

'His music is very, very unusual and individual. I've never heard anything like it' (The late Sir Peter Maxwell Davies)

 

McGarr was born in Openshaw, Manchester. He studied Music and Dance at Mather College (now part of Manchester University) and is self-taught in composition. For several years he taught steel pan, achieving the Outstanding Performance Award from Music for Youth for his steel band, Orchestral Steel.

 

AWARDS

British Composer Award (for 'Dry Stone Walls of Yorkshire')

George Butterworth Award (Society for Promotion of New Music)

Music Teacher of the Year Award

Outstanding Performance Award (Music for Youth)

 

Contact: petermcgarr.composer@gmail.com