Peter Hill

Peter Hill became interested in Brian Dennis music while he was a Jubilee Fellow at Royal Holloway College. He wrote an in depth analysis of the Chinese influenced music for Tempo magazine during this period and brings his in depth knowledge to the performance of Willow Waves and the piano suite, A Little Water Music.

Background

Peter Hill read music at Oxford, before studying the classical repertoire with Cyril Smith at the Royal College of Music and later with Nadia Boulanger. At the same time he pursued his enthusiasm for contemporary music, winning first prize at Darmstadt in 1974. He has remained a constant champion of new music and Howard Skempton, Nigel Osborne and Douglas Young have all dedicated works to him.

He as appeared at numerous international festivals and broadcasts regularly in this country and abroad. In 1988 a recital of Bach was chosen by the BBC as one of the broadcast highlights of the year.

Peter Hill performs in chamber music duos with the violinist Peter Cropper (of the Lindsay String Quartet), the composer and pianist George Benjamin, and the pianist Benjamin Frith - and has played a major role in the revitalising of music in Sheffield, performing regularly at the Sheffield Chamber Music Festival since its inception in 1984.

Peter Hill lives in Yorkshire and holds a personal chair at Sheffield University. A specialist in the performance of Messiaen (and writing a book on him) he completed a marathon 7 CD cycle of the piano music in 1994, made with the composer's help and guidance, and receiving his endorsement.