Peter Cigleris, clarinet

Peter has enjoyed a wide and varied career since taking up the clarinet at the age of eleven. His first professional recitals were at the age 14 in Plymouth with pianist/composer Clive Jenkins; this partnership still takes Peter around Devon and Cornwall performing in such recital series as the Plymouth International Concert Series. Clive was so impressed by Peter’s playing he decided to compose a clarinet concerto for him, this concerto was premiered in 2000 with the Southwest Sinfonia in Plymouth’s Guildhall alongside Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. In 1997 Peter continued his musical studies at the Birmingham Conservatoire were 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 the composers Fantasy Sonata, he was also awarded a place on the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Training Scheme that lead to extra work with the orchestra. At the Conservatoire Peter performed numerous concertos with the college’s ensembles, he also developed an interest in early clarinets, which lead to a performance with the Conservatoire’s Baroque Caplle Orchestra with the Chalumaeax 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 80^th birthday celebrations.

Peter graduated from the Royal College of Music in 2002 with a PGDip, were his professors are Janet Hilton, Richard Hosford, Robert Hill and Tim Lines. During the summer of 2002 Peter was awarded with the Prix de Fossat along side pianist Gina Kruger for their collaborations in chamber music, whilst in France the pair were invited to perform for Her Majesty the Queen of Denmark at a private reception. 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'. Other projects have included the formation of the wind octet 'Octanphonie'. Peter was also recently awarded a place on the prestigious Jerwood Foundation Scholarship for Young Players in association with the Orchestra in the Age of Enlightenment.

Recent engagements include a performance of Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet with the Dante String Quartet as part of the inaugural concert for the Dante Summer Music Festival and performances of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in Chelmsford and Arundel Cathedrals.

Peter is currently principle clarinet with the New Professionals Chamber Orchestra. Peter plays on a pair of Peter Eaton Elite clarinets made for him in November 2001.