MARK D. PETERING (b. 1973)
Mark
D. Petering has received numerous awards from organizations such as ASCAP,
the National Federation of Music Clubs and the National Guild of Community
Schools of the Arts. He is the 2003 winner of the Swan Composer Prize for
wind ensemble for his composition The Swimming Pool influenced by the Matisse mural
as well as the 2003 winner of the Music Festival of the Hamptons
Composition Contest for his work Train & Tower for chamber orchestra and tape.
In July 2003, Mr. Petering and conductor Lukas Foss made music history as they
coordinated the performance of this piece with a donated Long Island Rail Road
train at the festival grounds in Bridgehampton, Long Island, New York. The event
was covered by The New York Times, NPR, and the BBC.
Mr. Petering's music has been performed by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra, the Atlantic Chamber Orhestra, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra and has been featured four times at the Washington Island Music Festival in Door County, Wisconsin. Mr. Petering has also served as guest composer at the festival. In 2005 he was invited to participate in the Aspen Music Festival where he would study with George Tsontakis. His electronic music has been recognized with performances by Vox Novus in New York City and several venues in Europe and the United States. One such compositon has been released by Vox Novus on Capstone Records.
Mr. Petering has composed a symphony commissioned by the PieperPower Foundation; the last movement has been recorded by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra for Albany Records. His Lake Summit: Prelude for Chamber Orchestra and Fanfare & Reflection are commissioned works premiered by the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra.
Understanding the importance of educating youth about contemporary music, he created The Tomten and the Fox and more - New Classical Music for Children by Mark Petering featuring the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra New Music Ensemble. This recording is a new release by Zebrina Records and has been praised for its unique approach in introducing contemporary music to young people. Its featured orchestral composition is popular with parents, teachers, and children at education and family concerts.
In May 2005, he received his Ph.D. in composition from the University of Minnesota where he studied with Judith Lang Zaimont, Alex Lubet, and Doug Geers. A graduate of Luther College (B.A.) and Bowling Green State University (M.M.), his teachers have included Samuel Adler, Burton Beerman, Wallace Depue, John Downey, Marilyn Shrude, Maurice Monhardt, and Ron Foster. His dissertation is the first American concerto for Bayan (Russian accordion) for Bayanist Stas Venglevski. He was recently appointed Assistant Professor of Music at Carthage College in Kenosha, WI one hour north of Chicago.
