Peter Boyer is one of the most frequently performed American orchestral composers of his generation. His works have received over 800 public performances by more than 300 orchestras, and tens of thousands of broadcasts by classical radio stations around the world/Listen, as we discuss Peter’s major work Ellis Island: The Dream of America, for actors and orchestra. It has become one of the most-performed American orchestral works composed in the last 25 years, with over 300 performances by 125 orchestras since its 2002 premiere. Peter has received commissions from several of the most prestigious American institutions and ensembles, including the United States Marine Band, which commissioned and premiered his Fanfare for Tomorrow for the inauguration of President Joe Biden.In 2010, Peter was chosen for the Boston Pops 125th anniversary commission, honoring the legacy of John, Robert, and Ted Kennedy. His The Dream Lives On: A Portrait of the Kennedy Brothers was narrated by actors including Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, and Alec Baldwin, and was conducted by Keith Lockhart.In 2019, Boyer received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, which is officially recognized by Congress as one of the most prestigious American awards, and has been presented to seven U.S. Presidents, as well as U.S. Secretaries of State, Supreme Court Justices, members of Congress, military leaders, and prominent Americans from many fields. Past medalists in the arts have included Renée Fleming, Quincy Jones, Rita Moreno, Gregory Peck, Itzhak Perlman, Chita Rivera, Martin Scorsese, and Paul Simon. In addition to his work for the concert stage, Peter’s career has included work in the film and television music industry. He has orchestrated more than 35 feature film scores from all the major movie studios, for leading Hollywood composers.
