"A piano concert of a completely special sort... absolutely an exquisite experience."-Leipziger Volkszeitung, Germany
American pianist Jason Paul Peterson has captivated audiences around the globe, with solo and collaborative performances in Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Mexico, England, Slovenia, and the United States. Highlights include Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, two outdoor performances of the Tchaikovsky First Piano Concerto with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra for over 20,000 listeners; performances for embassies and consulates in Hamburg, Leipzig, and Ljubljana, two solo recitals on the historic Dame Myra Hess Memorial Series in Chicago (broadcast live nationwide via radio, internet, and cable television), performances at the Moulin d'Ande festival in France, the International Peace Festival in Assisi, Italy, and a performance in the Rathaus of Torgau, Germany for the Elbe Festival, commemorating the meeting of Soviet and U.S. troops in 1945. Upcoming concerts include solo and collaborative engagements throughout the United States and Europe.
The Leipziger Volkszeitung in Germany referred to a recent concert as "a piano concert of a completely special sort... absolutely an exquisite experience." Dr. Peterson has been described as "a national phenomenon" (The Milwaukee Journal) and a musician of "Technical brilliancy who conveyed all the nuances in performance" (Polonaise Magazine).
Dr. Peterson was awarded a grant from the Chopin Foundation of the United States, Inc., and subsequently became the first-ever four-time recipient of the award. He is the winner of the 2006 Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition, the only American finalist in the 2001 Grace Welsh International Prize for Piano, and has also been awarded by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. Most recently, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for study at the Franz Liszt Academy in Weimar, Germany. He has released three recordings on the Sospiro label.
Dr. Peterson has collaborated with many renowned artists, including Virginia Symphony concertmaster Vahn Armstrong, clarinettist Robert Spring, flutist Marianne Gedigian, singers Robynne Redmon and David Small, and pianists Andrey Kasparov and Hwaen Ch'uqi. In addition to the standard repertoire, Dr. Peterson is an advocate of modern and contemporary music, and has programmed works ranging from George Enescu and Samuel Barber to Verne Reynolds, Adolphus Hailstork, and William Bolcom. Dr. Peterson has also helped establish the Curso de Canto program at the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, where he returns each summer to accompany and coach vocal music.
As a scholar, Dr. Peterson has lectured on memory techniques at the World Piano Conference in Novi Sad, Serbia, and written for the Grove Dictionary of American Music. His doctoral thesis explored the Third Piano Sonata of Gyorgy Enescu.
Dr. Peterson holds a Bachelor of Music degree with high distinction from the Eastman School of Music, a Master of Music degree with highest honors from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Peabody Conservatory, where he held an assistantship in piano teaching. Principal teachers include Natalya Antonova, Anton Nel, Alexander Shtarkman, and Grigory Gruzman. He currently resides in Basel, Switzerland, where he is active as a teacher and performer.