I am a full time composer, electronic musician and pianist based in Los Angeles. I write and produce music for film and TV, as well as for chamber groups, theater and more.
I create remixes for bands, giving them new audiences and different sound. I produce and co-write songs with emerging artists, making their voices come through stronger with creative and forward thinking production and well informed musicianship, with a doctorate in piano performance and composition. I write acoustic music for theater, mixed ensembles, dance and films, and create music for film makers and TV producers.
Biography
Peter John (aka SPEARFISHER) is a classically trained pianist and composer with a Master’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a DMA in Piano and Composition from the University of Minnesota. He is passionate about shaping the future of music through both classical and contemporary forms.
Most recently, he composed the music for the theatrical trailer of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, as well as trailers for The Performance (starring Jeremy Piven), Chucky (TV series), and The Prom (starring Meryl Streep). He also scored the feature-length film The Tannery and the award-winning short All the Reasons for Killing by David De Juan Navarro.
His music has been featured by major brands such as Nike, Vogue, Ralph Lauren, Samsung, Safeway, and The Onion, and has appeared in television programs including Project Runway, Dr. Death, Northern Exposure, Claws, Dead Silent, The Today Show, Good Morning America, 20/20, MLB, and NASCAR.
As a songwriter and producer, Peter co-wrote and co-produced the song “My Boy” with Jon Bellion for his Father Figure album. He has collaborated with Grammy-winning producer Jerry Wonda of The Fugees, and worked with artists such as Son Lux, Dan Richards (One Direction), Lissie, Transviolet, CLOVES, and L’FREAQ.
In the realm of contemporary classical music, Peter’s solo cello piece From the Zodiac was premiered by Cicely Parnas at The Kennedy Center and praised by The Washington Post, which wrote that “the outer movements were full of assertive and expressive music and elicited real enthusiasm from the audience.” The work has since been performed at Lincoln Center’s Merkin Hall, the Gardner Museum in Boston, and concert halls across the U.S. He also collaborated with composer Jocelyn Hagen on the piece Hummingbird for choir and electronics, resampling the full choir to build custom synthesizers, which he performed live at the premiere. The piece is published by Graphite Publishing.
As a pianist, Peter has won numerous awards, been a finalist in international competitions, and performed in Germany, Spain, and Japan. Highlights include performing Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto as soloist with the National Orchestra of Belarus, along with recital and concerto performances across Europe, Asia, and the United States.
“ (Peter John’s solo cello piece “from the zodiac”) is full of assertive and expressive music that elicited real enthusiasm from the audience.”