Peter Allen (born 18 February 1952) is a Canadian composer, organist, and keyboard player. An associate of the Canadian Music Centre and a member of the Canadian League of Composers, his compositions encompass a broad repertoire from film scores and commercial jingles to sacred music and avant-garde electroacoustic music. He has composed numerous works for CBC Radio and CBC Television.
Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Allen was a pupil of Boyd McDonald and Robert Turner [1] at the University of Manitoba where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in 1975. Between 1976 and 1977 he pursued graduate studies at McGill University where his teachers included Bengt Hambraeus, Alcides Lanza, and Bruce Mather. During the 1970s he was a founding member of the contemporary concert series IZ Music, [2] along with three other Manitoba composers; Bruce Carlson, William Pura and James Hiscott. Their concerts were regularly recorded by the CBC and broadcast on Two New Hours, CBC Radio Toronto. Allen also worked as a pianist with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and was active as a keyboardist with a number of local club and rock bands. In 1980 he became organist at St. Mary's Cathedral, Winnipeg and in 1984 was appointed music director for Pope John Paul II's papal mass outdoors at Bird's Hill Park in Winnipeg, for which he was also commissioned to compose a new mass setting. From 1985 to 1986 he worked for Century 21 Studios as their in-house composer and music producer. [3]
Allen moved to Los Angeles, California in 1986 to pursue studies in film scoring at the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Southern California. In 1988 he moved to Vancouver British Columbia to open his own recording and sound production studio, Peter Allen Associates Inc. [4] He has composed music for more than 100 films for American, Canadian and British film companies, including Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Warner Brothers, Disney, Universal Pictures, CineTel Films, The National Film Board of Canada, the CBC, LifeTime, Hallmark as well as numerous independent film producers, and has written music for various television shows and series, including a theme song for the Winnipeg Jets in 1979, the broadcast theme for the Toronto Blue Jays, the Montreal Expos, the Winning Spirit theme for the Vancouver Canucks, [5] and also the international broadcast theme for the 1994 Commonwealth Games. In October 2012, "Tear The Curtain", directed by Kim Collier, played on the Canadian Stage, the largest theatre stage in Canada. "Tear The Curtain" is a simultaneous mix of live theatre and film, and features a score by Peter Allen, [6] both in the film segments and the live segments of the production. Peter worked with Kim Collier again in 2019 to create the score for "The Full Light of Day", which played at the Luminato Festival in Toronto in 2019. In 2003 he won a Leo Award for his score for the film Flower & Garnet and in 2019 for his score for the film Truly Madly Sweetly. [7]
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Cyborg 2: Glass Shadow | |
| 1994 | ||
| 1995 | Heaven's Tears | |
| Dangerous Prey | ||
| For a Few Lousy Dollars | ||
| 1997 | Crackerjack 2 | |
| Sleeping Dogs | ||
| 1998 | Hell Mountain | |
| Dark Confessions | ||
| Sparky Versus Rocco | Short Film | |
| Act of War | ||
| 1999 | A Twist of Faith | |
| Escape Velocity | ||
| The Silencer | ||
| Lethal Target | ||
| 2000 | Bear with Me | |
| Fatal Conflict | ||
| Crackerjack 3 | ||
| The Operative | ||
| Last Stand | ||
| 2001 | Ripper | |
| 2002 | Flower & Garnet | |
| Starfire Mutiny | Direct-to-video | |
| The Barber | ||
| 2003 | Casanova at Fifty | Short Film |
| 2004 | 11:11 | |
| Ripper 2: Letter from Within | ||
| 2005 | Sara Under Siege | Short Film |
| Thralls | ||
| The Score | ||
| 2006 | Shock to the System | |
| 2007 | A Dennis the Menace Christmas | Direct-to-video |
| Blonde and Blonder | ||
| Tit for Tat | Short Film | |
| 2008 | Scourge | |
| Incident at a Truckstop Diner | Short Film | |
| On the Other Hand, Death | ||
| The Art of War II: Betrayal | Direct-to-video | |
| Ice Blues | ||
| Christmas Town | Direct-to-video | |
| 2009 | The Cycle | |
| Attention, the Doors Are Closing | Short Film | |
| Driven to Kill | Direct-to-video | |
| Damage | ||
| 2010 | Dancing Ninja | |
| The Stranger | Direct-to-video | |
| The Diner Suit | Short Film | |
| 2011 | Pressed | |
| Skew | ||
| Jesus Christ | Short Film | |
| Rise of the Damned | ||
| Dead Simple | Short Film | |
| Liz | Short Film | |
| 2012 | American Mary | |
| Now and Forever | Short Film (music written and performed) | |
| 2013 | Out of Business' | Short film |
| Cup Runneth Over | Short film | |
| 2014 | The Clockwork Girl | Feature Animation |
| Toxin | ||
| 2015 | A Perfect Wedding | |
| 2016 | Mostly Ghostly 3: One Night in Doom House | Direct-to-video |
| 2017 | Bigger Fatter Liar | Direct-to-video |
| Selfie From Hell | Feature Film | |
| 2018 | The Big Top Fury | Short Film |
| 2023 | If You're Reading This | Documentary |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Tales from the Crypt | 1 episode |
| 1994 | Metro Cafe | |
| 1996 | Downdraft | Television film |
| 1997 | Kleo the Misfit Unicorn | 26 episodes |
| Dead Fire | Television film | |
| 1998 | The Other Side of the Picture | Documentary |
| 1999 | Escape from Mars | Television film |
| Slightly Bent TV | ||
| Sasquatch Odyssey: The Hunt for Bigfoot | Documentary | |
| 2002 | atHome | |
| 2004 | On Course | |
| Deep Evil | Television film | |
| Happyland | Television film | |
| Eve's Christmas | Television film | |
| A Very Cool Christmas | Television film | |
| 2005 | Steklo | Mini-series (3 episodes) |
| Home for the Holidays | Television film | |
| His and Her Christmas | Television film | |
| 2006 | Lesser Evil | Television film |
| The Obsession | Television film | |
| Family in Hiding | Television film | |
| Deadly Skies | Television film | |
| Breaking Ranks | Documentary | |
| Four Extraordinary Women | Television film | |
| 21st Annual Gemini Awards | Television special | |
| All She Wants for Christmas | Television film | |
| 2007 | A Valentine Carol | Television film |
| Witness to Murder | Television film | |
| Destination: Infestation | Television film | |
| 2008 | The Afterlife with Suzane Northrop | Documentary (10 episodes) |
| Let's Talk Sex | 10 episodes | |
| Making Mr. Right | Television film | |
| Love Sick: Secrets of a Sex Addict] | Television film (international version) | |
| Mixed Nutz | ||
| 2009 | Storm Seekers | Television film |
| Black Rain | Television film | |
| Encounter with Danger | Television film | |
| Vancouver Vagabond | Documentary | |
| Health Nutz | Television film | |
| Something Evil Comes | Television film | |
| 2010 | A Family Thanksgiving | Television film |
| Two Men in a Boat: Chasing Spring | Documentary | |
| 2011 | The Adventures of Artie the Ant | 12 episodes |
| Past Obsessions | Television film | |
| 2012 | What's Up Warthogs! | 19 episodes |
| Broken Trust | Television film | |
| Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade | Television film | |
| 2013 | Health Nutz | 7 episodes |
| The Trainer | Television film | |
| Profile for Murder | Television film | |
| Forever 16 | Television film | |
| 2014 | Irreplaceable | Documentary |
| My Mother's Future Husband | Television film | |
| The Color of Rain | Television film | |
| Recipe for Love | Television film | |
| Wedding Planner Mystery | Television film | |
| 2015 | I Do, I Do, I Do | Television film |
| The Wrong Girl | Television film | |
| Ties That Bind | 9 episodes | |
| Angels in the Snow | Television film | |
| Debbie Macomber's Dashing Through the Snow | Television film | |
| 2016 | Stop the Wedding | Television film |
| Chesapeake Shores | 1 episode | |
| Terres d'Exploration | Television mini-series documentary | |
| 2017 | Nations at War | Documentary |
| The Christmas Train | Television film | |
| 2018 | Truly Madly Sweetly | Television film |
| 2020 | Charlie's Christmas Wish | Television film |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Spongebob Squarepants: A Day in the Life of a Sponge |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Titus Andronicus | Bard On The Beach |
| 2010 | Tear The Curtain | Arts Club Theatre |
| 2013 | You Are Very Star | Electric Company Theatre |
| 2019 | The Full Light Of Day | Electric Company Theatre |
| Year | Project | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | A Twist of Faith | Best Musical Score in a Motion Picture (Leo Award) | Nominated |
| 2002 | The Barber | Feature Length Drama: Best Musical Score (Leo Award) | Nominated |
| 2003 | Casanova at Fifty | Short Drama: Best Musical Score (Leo Award) | Nominated |
| Flower & Garnet | Feature Length Drama: Best Musical Score (Leo Award) | Won | |
| 2005 | 11:11 | Feature Length Drama: Best Musical Score (Leo Award) | Nominated |
| 2006 | The Score | Best Music Score in a Feature Length Drama (Leo Award) | Nominated |
| The Score | Best Original Music Score for a Program or Mini-Series (Gemini Award) | Nominated | |
| 2008 | A Dennis the Menace Christmas | Best Musical Score in a Feature Length Drama (Leo Award) | Nominated |
| Scourge | Best Music Score in a Feature Length Drama (Leo Award) | Nominated | |
| 2009 | The Art of War II: Betrayal | Best Musical Score in a Feature Length Drama (Leo Award) | Nominated |
| 2014 | Destination: Infestation | Domestic Feature Film Award (SOCAN Award) | Won |
| 2019 | Truly, Madly, Sweetly | Best Musical Score in a Television Movie (Leo Award) | Won |
| 2023 | If You're Reading This | Best Musical Score in a Feature Length Documentary (Leo Award) | Nominated |
In Canada, classical music includes a range of musical styles rooted in the traditions of Western or European classical music that European settlers brought to the country from the 17th century and onwards. As well, it includes musical styles brought by other ethnic communities from the 19th century and onwards, such as Indian classical music and Chinese classical music. Since Canada's emergence as a nation in 1867, the country has produced its own composers, musicians and ensembles. As well, it has developed a music infrastructure that includes training institutions, conservatories, performance halls, and a public radio broadcaster, CBC, which programs a moderate amount of Classical music. There is a high level of public interest in classical music and education.
Christine Ann Fellows is a Canadian folk-pop singer-songwriter from Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Bramwell Tovey was a British conductor and composer.
Ron Collier, was a Canadian jazz trombonist, composer, and arranger. He performed in and led a number of jazz groups, and created orchestrations for and recorded with Duke Ellington.
Dolores Olga Claman was a Canadian composer and pianist. She is best known for having composed the 1968 theme song for Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's (CBC) Hockey Night In Canada show, known simply as "The Hockey Theme", which many consider Canada's unofficial second national anthem. She is also known for "A Place to Stand", the tune that accompanied the film of the same name at Montreal's Expo 67 Ontario pavilion. This is regarded as Ontario's de facto provincial anthem.
Alexina Diane Louie,, is a Canadian composer of contemporary art music. She has composed for various instrumental and vocal combinations in a variety of genres. She has fulfilled a number of commissions, and her works, which have been performed internationally, have earned her a number of awards, including the Order of Canada and two Juno Awards.
Andrew Paul MacDonald is a Canadian classical composer, guitarist, conductor, and music educator. His compositions have been performed in many countries and recorded by well-known musical ensembles.
León Zuckert was a Canadian composer, conductor, arranger, violinist, violist and radio pioneer of Ukrainian descent. He was married to the poet Ella Bobrow, with whom he collaborated on many songs.
John Estacio is a contemporary Canadian composer of opera, orchestral and choral music.
The 75th Grey Cup was the 1987 Canadian Football League championship game that was played at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Toronto Argonauts. The Eskimos defeated the Argonauts 38–36, on Jerry Kauric's last-minute field goal.
Allan Peter Stanley Kowbel, better known by his stage name Chad Allan, was a Canadian musician. He was the founding member and original lead singer of The Guess Who.
The Manitoba Chamber Orchestra (MCO) is a chamber orchestra based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It offers an annual subscription series at Westminster United Church, which regularly features Canada's leading soloists, such as James Ehnes and Measha Brueggergosman, and Marc-André Hamelin. Other core MCO activities include recording, touring, and engaging extensive outreach in remote communities in northern Manitoba. Currently, Anne Manson serves as the MCO's Music Director, Karl Stobbe as its Concertmaster, and Vicki Young as its managing director.
Robert Comrie Turner, was a Canadian composer, radio producer, and music educator. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in music from McGill University in 1943. While there he studied with Douglas Clarke and Claude Champagne. He continued his studies briefly at Colorado College in 1947, where he met his wife, percussionist Sara Scott. They married in 1949. In 1947, Turner transferred to Peabody College in Nashville, Tennessee, where he studied with Roy Harris. He graduated in 1950 with a master's degree. During this time, Turner spent two summers studying with Herbert Howells and Gordon Jacob at the Royal College of Music and one summer at the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood studying with Olivier Messiaen. He returned to McGill University in 1951, graduating with a doctorate two years later.
Victor Albert Davies is a Canadian composer, pianist, and conductor, best known for his opera Transit of Venus and The Mennonite Piano Concerto.
Walter Louis MacNutt was a Canadian organist, choir director, and composer. His compositional output includes numerous choral works, songs, pieces for solo organ, and works for orchestra, many of which have been published by companies like Broadcast Music Incorporated, Frederick Harris Music, the Waterloo Music Company, and the Western Music Company. In 1938 his Suite for Piano was awarded the first Vogt Society prize for Canadian composition. One of his more popular works, the secular song Take Me to a Green Isle, is taken from a poem by H.E. Foster. He also composed many songs to the poems of William Blake. In his later years, he composed music mainly for the Anglican church, include two Missae breves and the Mass of St James (1974).
Eric Nathan Robertson is a Scottish composer, organist, pianist, and record producer who has been primarily active in Canada. A two time Gemini Award winner, he has composed more than 60 film scores and written music for a number of television series in Canada and the United States. He has also written a considerable amount of choral and organ music, sometimes with instrumental or symphonic accompaniment. His works display a strong influence of Ralph Vaughan Williams, Charles Wood, and William O. Minay, the latter of whom he studied with for over 30 years. He has also produced and played on numerous commercial albums by a variety of artists and released several of his own albums of popular songs and film themes under the name Magic Melodies.
Eli Bennett is a Canadian Juno Award-nominated jazz saxophonist and Leo Award-winning film composer. He has composed more than twenty film scores and in 2018 received his first Leo Award for Best Musical Score in a Feature Length Documentary for the film Believe: The True Story of Real Bearded Santas. He was also awarded the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal from the Premier of BC for his contribution to the arts in Canada. He is married to violinist and vocalist Rosemary Siemens with whom he records and performs with their instrumental duo SaxAndViolin and in 2019 they performed together at The Vatican.
Hugh John McLean CM was a Canadian organist, choirmaster, pianist, harpsichordist, administrator, teacher, musicologist, composer, and editor.
Leon Cole was a Canadian musician and radio broadcaster, best known as the host of the classical music program RSVP on CBC Stereo from 1985 to 1995.
Charles Cozens is involved in the music industry in Canada as an arranger for solo artists; a composer writing in multiple genres for diverse organizations including chamber ensembles, musical theatre, and television; a conductor and producer of crossover orchestral shows; a performer on piano and accordion in jazz, classical, and pop styles; and as a recording artist and producer.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Other | |
