Composer

As a young free-lance flutist in New York in the early 80's, Peter came into contact with the American composer, John Corigliano, who was writing his Pied Piper Fantasy flute concerto for the great Irish flutist James Galway. Corigliano used the young flutist to try out what he was writing for Galway. It was this contact with Corigliano that inspired him to become a composer. Shortly after, he started studying composition with Corigliano and Gheorghe Constinescu at CUNY Lehman College, where he received his master's degree. He also studied composition with Narcís Bonet and orchestration with John David Earnest. He also worked with Jacob Druckman and George Tsontakis at Aspen.

The recent premiere of his orchestral work, The Wind in Tall Trees, which Peter conducted with the Colonial Symphony Orchestra in the U.S., was described by the Classical New Jersey Society Journal in the following manner: "[Bacchus] is the owner of a fine ear for orchestral color. The first movement, "Swept Away/Reverie", blew along like the wind toward an unknowable goal … His shimmering clusters in the strings and slides to new pitches captured the essence of tree limbs swaying, making the wind "visible". "Shifting Winds", the second movement, proved to be a driving and exciting dance. Meters changed and dynamic levels rose and fell effectively."

His Magnificat (2005) for Cor Vivaldi of Barcelona was decribed in la Vanguardia: "The Magnificat of Bacchus (for brass, organ, piano, percussion and choir with soloists) represents a demanding level of vocal work. It is effective contrapuntally, very precisely orchestrated, and a very expressive work. Admirably composed, it consists of canonic devices, contrasts between vocal groups, and rhythmic invention (particularly in the Quia Fecit, with it’s subtle shades of instrumental color and attractive vocal solos). All of this was very well executed by the girls of the choir. The result was eloquent, thanks to the capacity, enthusiasm and precision of the singers."

Peter was commissioned a second time by Cor Vivaldi to write a Missa Brevis (2008), the premier of whuch was descrbed again by la Vanguardia: " The masses of Peter Bacchus and Albert Guinovart were enthusiastically applauded. Bacchus mixes organ and chorus, with the exception of an attractive choral a cappella, with solo sections and even a short section of audience participation at the end [Dona nobis pacem]."

More recent compositions include Variations for Cobla (2008), an orchrestrated version of his Flute Variations (2004).

This piece will soon be available for wind ensemble. This past spring Peter wrote some short pieces for string quartet to accompany a theatrical production produced by the Associació Catalana de Compositors.

His Petita Suite (2006), written in versions for 8 and 12 instruments is soon to be published by Dinsic Publicacions.

He is now completing the scores to his Fantasy on Syrinx by Debussy, and his Fantasy on the Allemande of the Partita by J.S. Bach, both for solo flute.

Currently, Peter is starting to work on a new composition for soprano and chamber orchestra, to be prmeiered by soprano Patricia Caicedo and the North South Consonance Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Max Lifschtz.

Peter’s compositions, arrangements and orchestrations are published by Dinsic Publicacions and Clivis Publicacions.

To listen to audio samples, go to the menu on the left.

If you are interested in his jingles, web and television work, please go to the BACCHUS MUSIC menu above.