Multi-Platinum selling Pianist-Composer-Producer, Peter Kater, has received 6 Grammy Award Nominations in the last 7 years with his recent nomination being for his "In A Dream" collaboration (2009) with long time Sting guitarist, Dominic Miller. Peter is known for the diversity and technical and emotional quality and intensity of his music. He follows his own Muse (a prolific one at that) through a variety of instrumental genres never sitting comfortably in any single one. His love, respect and commitment to the natural world fuels much of his creative urges and instincts.

It all began in 1983 when Peter released his first solo piano album, “Spirit”, on his own Source Records, becoming one of only a small handful of instrumental artists spear-heading an entirely new genre of music which we've now come to know as New Age Music. After about 6 years and several National Top 10 Contemporary Jazz recordings, Peter made a strong and unexpected left hand turn and in 1990 literally introduced Native American music to the masses with his groundbreaking collaboration with R. Carlos Nakai called “Natives”. Peter's early contemporary instrumental recordings; his visionary soundtracks for television and film; and his collaborations with Native American and Tibetan artists helped create the foundation for the existence of an entirely new genre of music and some very successful and resourceful new record labels. Recognizing a need for music more appropriate to Healing Arts and healing therapies; Peter released his Healing Series CD’s and has become a staple for practitioners of many healing modalities and Spa's across the world.

Of German birth and descent, Peter moved to New Jersey from Munich, Germany at the age of four and began studying the piano, at his mother’s demand, when he was seven. Even at this young age Peter was compelled to play the classical music he was learning "his way". This was seen as a serious problem by his first 3 teachers in the first year of his training. He wasn't applauded for his own sense of melody, time and structure, but rather discouraged from being unique and improvising around well-known classical themes. After seven years of classical training Peter was encouraged to find his own voice in playing Rock & Roll and Top 40 bands around New Jersey and New York while studying contemporary improvisation. Moving to Boulder, Colorado at the age of eighteen, he began a six-year period of playing only improvisationally in clubs throughout the Rocky Mountain region. "I didn’t want to play anything the same way twice, being in the moment and spontaneous was and still is very important to me, both musically and personally," said Kater. When he was twenty years old he accepted a scholarship to the California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles but quit after two months, preferring his life as a professional musician.

Peter has written the music for over 100 television and film programs and 11 On and Off-Broadway dramatic plays. His broad creative stroke has touched millions of hearts all around the world and his commitment to the well-being of the environment has earned him the prestigious "Environmental Leadership Award" from the United Nations. He has also enjoyed repeated invitations to perform at various exclusive events at Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute and John Denver’s Choices for the Future and countless environmental and humanitarian symposiums around the world performing to some of our most distinguished leaders and dignitaries.

Film scoring has recently become Peter's most exciting adventure. He has just finished the score to the new animated feature film, "The Legend Of Secret Pass". This is Peter's first big movie score with a 70 piece orchestra, 50 voice choir and guest musicians from all over the world. Last year Peter finished the score to the film "10 Questions for the Dalai Lama". The film has won over almost a dozen critical awards at Film Festivals around the world and has already been seen by hundreds of thousands of movie goers. In addition to scoring for film and television, Peter's music was heard in the NBC broadcast of the 2000 & 2004 Summer Olympics; he collaborated with Kenny Loggins on his December CD and performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City. He's recorded and performed nationally and internationally with some of the worlds most talented and accomplished musicians, actors, directors and author and continues his work with Environmental and Humanitarian support groups.

 

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