John Peterson (b. 1957) studied composition at the University of Sydney under Ross Edwards, Eric Gross and Peter Sculthorpe, completing a Doctorate in Composition in 2003. While much of his work is orchestral, performed by orchestras across Australia, New Zealand and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, he is equally known for his choral music, frequently performed by the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. He was twice shortlisted (1997, 2001) for the BBC/London Symphony Orchestra “Masterprize”, and won the Albert H. Maggs Composition Award in 2005. Later works include the choral Dreams and Visions (2011) and the flute sextet Emergence, which won the 2015 Australian Flute Festival Composition Competition. In 2014 he published an analytical study, The Music of Peter Sculthorpe. Peterson is now an Honorary Senior Lecturer in the School of the Arts and Media at the University of New South Wales.
