De Peyer, Gervase (Alan)

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De Peyer, Gervase (Alan)

De Peyer, Gervase (Alan) , English clarinetist, conductor, and teacher; b. London, April 11, 1926. He studied with Frederick Thurston at the Royal Coll. of Music in London and with Louis Cahuzac in Paris (1949). He then pursued an international career as a clarinet virtuoso; served as first clarinetist of the London Sym. Orch. (1955–72), was founder- conductor of the Melos Sinfonia, and assoc. conductor of the Haydn Orch. in London. He taught at the Royal Academy of Music in London (from 1959) and performed with the Chamber Music Soc. of Lincoln Center in N.Y. (1969–89). He gave master classes all over the globe and also commissioned a number of works for clarinet.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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