Rate My Professor Peter Adams

Emeritus Professor Peter Adams served as Professor of Music and lead course adviser for the MusB programme in the School of Performing Arts at the University of Otago. He earned a MusB (Hons), MMus (London), LRSM, and FTCL. Adams joined the university as a research assistant in 1988, became an assistant lecturer in 1989, and a full staff member in 1990. Over his 35-year career, he contributed significantly to the Music Programme, which evolved into the School of Performing Arts, introducing the first Music Technology paper (MUSI 132). Upon retirement in 2024, he was honoured with the title of Emeritus Professor for his outstanding contributions to teaching, research, and leadership.

Adams is renowned as a conductor, having directed over 250 concerts nationwide with orchestras, brass bands, and choirs, including the New Zealand Secondary Schools Symphony Orchestra, National Youth Brass Band, Dunedin Symphony Orchestra, and St Kilda Brass Band, which he led to a national championship win. He served as musical director of City Choir Dunedin for ten years and adjudicates at brass band contests. In teaching, he delivered courses on materials of music, practical conducting (MUSI 259), composition (MUSI 131, 234, 331, 431), and classical music (MUSI 223/323), earning outstanding evaluations. He supervised PhD, DMA, and MMus students, with notable alumni including conductors Simon O'Neill, Tecwyn Evans, Holly Mathieson, and Andrew Crooks. His research specializations include music analysis, composition employing poly-stylism and mixed-modal language, music for wind and brass, musicology, nineteenth-century music, and opera. Key compositions feature Breath of Souls: Five Waiata for solo flute (Promethean Editions, 2015), Look to the Far Horizon for string quartet (2017), Huriawa: Prelude and variations for orchestra (2011, premiered 2019), String Quartet No. 2: Proclamation, Canons and Dances (2019), and Concerto Burlesca for violin and brass band (2008). Adams also performs clarinet in new works, writes reviews, programme notes, and delivers community presentations.