BIO

English clarinet soloist Peter Cigleris enjoys a wide and varied career.

Peter studied at the Birmingham Conservatoire from 1997 where his professors were Michael Harris and Colin Parr. Whilst at the Conservatoire, Peter won the prestigious John Ireland Chamber music award with a performance of that composer’s Fantasy Sonata. He was also awarded a place on the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Training Scheme. At the Conservatoire Peter performed numerous concertos with the college’s ensembles, he also developed an interest in early clarinets, which led to a performance with the Conservatoire’s Baroque Capelle Orchestra with the Chalumeau Concerto by Fasch. Peter also premiered Guy Woolfenden’s arrangement of Malcolm Arnold’s Pre-Goodman Rag for wind ensemble; he later performed the complete Arnold Concerto with the Warwickshire Symphony under Guy Woolfenden as part of the composer’s eightieth birthday celebrations.

Peter went on to graduate from the Royal College of Music in 2002 with a PGDip. There his professors were Janet Hilton, Richard Hosford, Robert Hill and Tim Lines. During the summer of that year, Peter was awarded the Prix de Fossat and was invited to France to perform for Her Majesty the Queen of Denmark at a private reception.

As soloist he has performed in many venues across the UK and Europe and premiered several new works for the instrument as well as giving performances of concertos by Mozart, Weber, Finzi and Arnold to name a few.”

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The Clarinet Concertino is a revamp of Arnold’s Clarinet Sonatina. It was delightfully done by Peter Cigleris, a rising name in the clarinet world. Flighty insouciance makes way for a sunset glow after which there’s a Furioso in which soloist and orchestra were in noticeably synchronous orbit.

Rob Barnett

Seen and Heard International

Fresh and Impressively Pleasing

“Peter has been involved with several major projects, most notably with the BBC as a member of the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique in the BBC docu-drama ‘Eroica’. Peter was also awarded a place on the prestigious Jerwood Foundation Scholarship for Young Players in association with the Orchestra in the Age of Enlightenment. As an orchestral player he has worked with several well-known English orchestras including the CBSO, BBCCO and Orchestra of the Swan and is in demand as a session player. Peter has also held the principal clarinet seat with the Symphony Orchestra of India and has worked with conductors Charles Dutoit, Rafael Payare amongst others.

As a chamber musician Peter works with numerous pianists and musicians including Martin Cousins, John Lenehan and Julian Lloyd Weber. This has lead Peter to perform in the Windsor and Wooburn Festivals and various music clubs from Scotland to the South of England. Peter is also a member of London’s newest chamber music series “Chamber Music Box”. 2013 saw the release of Peter’s debut CD ‘English Fantasy’ released on Cala Records. Since the release of ‘English Fantasy’ Peter has also featured on discs for Toccata Classics and Heritage Records.

“This is a fresh and impressively pleasing collection which mixes the usual and the unusual to good effect with more of the latter than the former. “ Rob Barnett Musicweb-International

“…this pairing is not lacking, and they bring nuance and insight to bear, as well as fine tone and ensemble…” Jonathan Woolf Musicweb-International

Engagements further afield have included giving a recital and master class at the University of New Hampshire USA as well as working with local high school clarinetists and the Seacoast Wind Ensemble, performances in Russia, Spain for the inaugural Groba Festival and Mexico where Peter performed Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto and gave the Mexican premiere of Malcolm Arnold’s 2nd Clarinet Concerto. Peter has also coached chamber music for the Music for You Summer School and the Exmouth Summer School.

Peter is a Backun Musical artist and a Silverstein Works Artist.”

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“Carl Nielsen wrote his clarinet concerto for irascible virtuoso Aage Oxenvad. After trying it in a private performance Oxenvad said Nielsen must be a secret clarinettist since he knew which were all the most difficult notes to play. That jibe is understandable when listening to the phenomenally demanding part. No problem though for Birmingham Conservatoire-trained soloist Peter Cigleris: he rocketed from bottom to top register, was as mellifluous and raucous as Nielsen demanded and combined pyrotechnics with a delicate tone for the occasional musing and meditative passage.”

Norman Stinchcombe