CSU - Department of Music - Faculty & Staff - Alphabetical Listing

Peter Sommer

Director of Jazz Bands

(970) 491-3010 | Peter.Sommer@colostate.edu

Jazz faculty Peter Sommer Praised for Solos on Recent Release. Click here for more information

Peter Sommer, saxophonist and composer, is in demand as a performer, clinician and recording artist throughout the state of Colorado. Since establishing himself among the area’s elite jazz musicians, Peter has contributed his muscular tenor playing and creative spirit to a wide variety of musical projects ranging from mainstream bebop to avant garde and beyond. Peter is a member of the Ken Walker Sextet, whose recent release on Synergy Music, Terra Firma, reached #6 on the CMJ Jazz Radio Charts and received rave reviews from JazzWeek.com and the All Music Guide Online. In the fall of 2005, Peter released his debut album, Sioux County on Tapestry Records, which features his compositions and his long-time collaboration with jazz piano legend Art Lande. Peter is also featured on the recent release from the Chie Imaizumi Jazz Orchestra on Capri Records, Unfailing Kindness, and on the Colorado Symphony Orchestra’s recording of Too Hot to Handel with Marin Alsop conducting. Peter’s next album, featuring fellow tenor saxophonist Rich Perry, is scheduled to be released in Fall 2007.

Peter has performed with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, and has appeared at many jazz festivals throughout the state including the Telluride Jazz Celebration, Jazz in the Sangres and the Vail Jazz Festival. Peter was recently featured as a guest soloist with the University of Wyoming Jazz Ensemble I as part of the North American Saxophone Alliance Region 1 Conference held in Laramie, WY. Peter has performed in concert with Greg Gisbert, Ron Miles, Brad Goode, Bobby Shew, John McNeil, Clay Jenkins, Rich Perry, Gary Smulyan, Bobby Watson, Dave Pietro, Don Aliquo, Paul McKee, Dale Bruning, Jim McNeely, Joanne Brackeen, Chip Stephens, Rosanna Vitro and Ernie Andrews.

Peter Sommer is Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies and Saxophone at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins. At CSU, Mr. Sommer directs Jazz Ensemble I and the CSU Jazz Combo program, in addition to teaching courses in Jazz Improvisation and Jazz Pedagogy.

Peter received both his Bachelors’ degree in Music and his Masters in Jazz Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado at Boulder. During his time at CU, Peter was awarded first place in the Jazz Improvisation Competition at the North American Saxophone Alliance National Conference, was the recipient of a Downbeat Student Music Award for Outstanding Performance by a Soloist in both the Jazz and Blues/Pop/Rock categories, was a member of three jazz combos that received Downbeat Student Music Awards for Outstanding Performance by a small jazz group, and was featured with the University of Colorado Jazz Ensemble I which also received an Outstanding Performance award.