Orchestral bookings (since September 2007) ORCHESTRAS Adderbury Ensemble Amersham Festival Orchestra BBC Concert Orchestra BBC Symphony Orchestra British Philharmonic Orchestra Camerata Ireland City of London Sinfonia English National Opera Orchestra English Sinfonia Ensemble Cymru Impropera Irish Chamber Orchestra London Concertante London Festival Orchestra London Musici London Symphony Orchestra Lontano Musical Associates (UK) Limited New Mozart Orchestra Northern Sinfonia Okeanos Opera a la Carte Orchestra of the Swan Pavilion Opera Philharmonia Orchestra Royal Ballet Sinfonia Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Royal Scottish National Orchestra Scottish Chamber Orchestra Ulster Orchestra SHOWS Les Miserables EDUCATION WORK BBC Symphony Orchestra Education English Sinfonia Education 30th July 2010 (4pm) (Recital) Rosslyn Hill Chapel, London NW3. Free admission. Programme: Two exciting new 45-minute pieces for children's voices (and actions) with 14-piece chamber orchestra: Peter Furniss - Finn and Friends* (2010) première John Ashton Thomas - Street Party (2010) première Featuring the Aurora Orchestra, cond. Nicholas Collon/ *Peter Furniss, with children from the DaCapo 2010 Summer School (ages 4-14). 18th August 2010 (8pm - 10pm) (Recital) Alison House, 12 Nicholson Sq, Edinburgh. edimpro - The city's very own free improvisation ensemble perform instrumental/electronic spontaneous pieces in an informal setting. With special guests: Manya Dunietz - piano (Israel) Fritz Welch - percussion (USA) Johnny Chang - violin (Berlin) FREE ADMISSION 30th November 2010 (6pm) (Recital) St Andrew's and St George's Church, 13 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2PA. ARTISAN 'Cascades' Series 2010-11 Aisling O'Dea - violin Clea Friend - cello With Simon Smith - piano Pete Furniss - Clarinet Thea Musgrave: Canta, Canta! (4') for clarinet, cello and piano. Alasdair Nicolson: General Reid His Dumpe (15') for clarinet, cello and piano. Johannes Brahms: Piano Trio No 2 in C Major, Op 87 (27') 22nd February 2011 (6pm) (Recital) St Andrew's and St George's Church, 13 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2PA. ARTISAN 'Cascades' Series 2010-11 Aisling O'Dea - violin Clea Friend - cello Simon Smith - piano Pete Furniss - Clarinet Thea Musgrave: Ring Out, Wild Bells (14') for violin, cello, clarinet and piano. Johannes Brahms: Clarinet Trio in A Minor, Op. 114 (25') 17th April 2011 (7.30pm) (Recital) The Queen's Hall, 85-89 Clerk Street, Edinburgh EH8 9JG. Tel: 0131 668 2019 ARTISAN 'Cascades' Series 2010-11 Aisling O'Dea - violin Clea Friend - cello Simon Smith - piano With Alec Frank-Gemmill - horn Peter Furniss - clarinet Kenneeth Leighton: Fantasy on an American Hymn-Tune, Op 70 (18') for clarinet, cello and piano. Nigel Osborne: Ulysses for violin, cello, clarinet, horn and piano (22'). World premiere, ARTISAN commission. Johannes Brahms: Piano Trio No.1 in B Major, Op 8 (36')   The Repertoire button is inactive.      Reviews "Peter Furniss provided another highlight in his performance of Dialogue de l'ombre double by Pierre Boulez. This work is the classic conversation between live performer and fixed media ... taking turns in their musical statements and staying out of each other'’s way. Mr Furniss excelled in carrying out the conversation by matching [the] inflections and pacing of the tape and maintaining matching volumes."   Computer Music Journal "A clarinettist of outstanding qualities. His performance of Mozart's Concerto K.622 was adept, assured and highly musical in the soaring elegance of the Largo, and sparkling in its final Rondo." "Beautifully shaped and accented playing brought out the best in the very idiosyncratic and inventive music, not least in the whirling finale." (Witold Lutoslawski's Dance Preludes for clarinet and orchestra)   Darlington and Stockton Times "TIME PIECES, 60 years of American music for clarinet and piano" (CC0054) with David Leiher Jones (piano): "very even and silvery ... the uniformity and precision of Furniss' clarinet tone will be awe inspiring to some. David Leiher Jones makes a very fine showing here as well."   allmusic.com "There's a sensitive and imaginative musician at work here, as one quickly notices while listening to American Standard. The repertoire requires as much from [David Leiher Jones] as it does from Furniss, and he rises to the challenge with no less skill or commitment. Not just for clarinettists!"   International Record Review "Great control and technique in even the most demanding moments.. the playing here stands in good comparison with any that I have heard... Well thought out and musically interesting ... highly recommended!"   Clarinet and Saxophone, Winter 2007 IMPROPERA: "Rising to the audience's every challenge, the company quickly weave a plot of brilliant ingenuity, embroider it with musical parody and bring wonder and joy to all"   Jeremy Kingston, The Times "The perfect operatic pick-me-up ... four fearless comedians, a pianist happy to improvise in the style of anyone from Scarlatti to Steve Reich, a quick-witted clarinettist, and a well lubricated audience."   Anna Picard, The Independent      Discography Time Pieces60 years of American music for clarinet and piano with David Leiher Jones (Clarinet Classics CC0054) Mendelssohn Concert Pieces op.118 and 119 with Dimitri Ashkenazy and Karl Andreas Kolly (Pan Classics 510 070)   The Outreach button is inactive. furniss_p_1167_1.jpgfurniss_p_1167_2.jpgfurniss_p_1167_3.jpgfurniss_p_1167_5.jpgfurniss_p_1167_mend.jpgfurniss_p_1167_time.jpg           Teaching experience Peter has been a committed teacher for over 15 years and is increasingly involved as animateur, composer and conductor in a number of innovative projects, particularly in connection with the DaCapo Foundation. In July 2005 he conducted a performance of his Farmyard Suite in Norwich Cathedral with the DaCapo Chamber Orchestra and 720 Norfolk school children.

Peter's recordings above are

• Victor Babin Valse de bonne humeur from Hillandale Waltzes
• James Cohn Allegretto Scherzando from Sonatina. Performed by Peter Furniss (clarinet) and David Leiher Jones (piano)
• Music from the CD Time Pieces, (Clarinet Classics CC0054)
• Debussy Petite Piece, transcribed by Peter Furniss for clarinet and string quartet (with the Westbury Ensemble, live recording 2003)
• Richard Dudas Prelude for clarinet and live electronics (2006), Peter Furniss clarinet, Richard Dudas electronics, from a live recording (premiere) at the Forum Neues Musiktheater, Stuttgart - April 2006.
• Steven R. Gerber's Duet Prelude, Double Fugue and Epilogue for solo clarinet, a live recording made in October 2007 at the Warehouse. The score is available on www.stevengerber.com

Biography

Peter is now based in Edinburgh and has performed extensivly in the UK and Europe including recitals at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, London's Purcell Rooom as part of the Park Lane Group Series and two recitals in New York.

He performs regularly as a guest with British orchestras, including the BBC Symphony, Scottish Chamber and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras, as well as Camerata Ireland with pianist Barry Douglas.

As a former member of the European Wind Octet, he toured throughout Europe, including at a special audience in Salzburg with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and has since worked with many contemporary and chamber ensembles, such as Lontano, Okeanos, Chroma, New Music Players, London Concertante, the Scharoun Ensemble (Berlin), Artisan and Uroboros. He has played at many festivals, including the Vale of Glamorgan, London Soundings, Windsor, York Late Music, St Magnus (Orkney), Jerusalem's Classical Winter and at the 1st Festival of Contemporary Music in Baku (Azerbaijan).

Chamber music partners have included Stephen Hough, David Leiher Jones, Daniel Becker, Takane Funatsu and Kate Gould.

His many premières, include solo pieces by Richard Dudas (Sonata, Prelude), Michael Kaulkin (American Standard), and Raul Rothblatt (solo clarinet version of Trio for Cello, Sox and Underwear), as well as works by Robin Holloway, Dai Fujikura, Thomas Ades, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Elliott Carter, John Adams, Magnus Lindberg, Peter Eotvos, Arelene Elizabeth Sierra, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and others.

Recently he began a series of solo performances with live electronics at the Forum Neues Musiktheater, Stuttgart, ICMC Copenhagen and Seoul International Computer Music Festival, South Korea, where he performed Boulez's Dialogue de l'ombre double among other works with Shadow Play, featuring cellis Robin Michael and pianist Sarah Nicolls. He also took part in the highly acclaimed première of Simon Wills' chamber opera 'The Secret Agent' at the Feldkirch Festival, Austria.

Highlights for 2010 include a second performance of Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time with the Dale Piano Trio, a concert in aid of the DEC Haitian Earthquake Appeal with members of Artisan, and a CD recording for Linn with Indian sarod legend Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and members of the SCO.

As a member of Impropera - 'the world's only (and arguably the best) improvising opera company' - he has taken part in completely spontaneous operatic performances at festivals in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Sweden and at the World Impro Games in Helsinki. The company recently undertook residencies at Den Anden Opera, Copenhagen, Oslo Opera Festival and the Theatro di Porto San Giorgio in Italy. Impropera's appearances in 2008 include the Newbury Festival, the Dubai Madinat Theatre and London's Arts Theatre (see reviews).

As a committed teacher for almost 20 years, Peter is involved as animateur, composer and conductor in a number of innovative projects, particularly in connection with the DaCapo Music Foundation. He has conducted and compered performances of his 'Farmyard Suite' in Belfast, London, Canterbury and in Norwich Cathedral with 720 Norfolk school children. A second piece, 'Finn and Friends' is in progress and will be performed in 2010 with the Aurora Orchestra.

To be published in 2010, his 'In Concert' series is a collection of pieces for beginner instrumentalists with piano accompaniments. 2010 will see the recording of music written for the Second Da Capo Songbook, featuring Niall Ashdown and members of the Aurora Orchestra.

Orchestral Work
Orchestras: Adderbury Ensemble, Amersham Festival Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, British Philharmonic Orchestra, Camerata Ireland, City of London Sinfonia, English National Opera Orchestra, English Sinfonia, Ensemble Cymru, Impropera, Irish Chamber Orchestra, London Concertante, London Festival Orchestra, London Musici, London Symphony Orchestra, Lontano, Musical Associates (UK) Limited, New Mozart Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, Okeanos, Opera a la Carte, Orchestra of the Swan, Pavilion Opera, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Ballet Sinfonia, Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra. Shows: Les Miserables. Education Work: BBC Symphony Orchestra Education, English Sinfonia Education.

Peter's orchestral work also includes the BBC Philharmonic, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, English Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, English National Ballet, Brunel Ensemble, Orquesta Ciudad de Granada, International Symphony & Chamber Orchestra, Jerusalem and Kirov Orchestra of the Marjinski Theatre, St Petersburg.

Peter's web links
www.peterfurniss.co.uk
www.impropera.co.uk
www.clarinetclassics.com
www.dacapo.co.uk
www.aboutthecomposer.com
www.stevengerber.com
www.sarahnicolls.com

Peter joined Morgensterns in August 1997

Peter's web profile was last updated 2nd Sep 2010