Peter Tahourdin

Peter Richard Tahourdin (27 August 192828 July 2009) was an English-born Australian composer. His compositions range from orchestral (5 symphonies) and chamber music to choral and educational music, as well as music for the opera and ballet. Without being his principal contribution, he was one of the pioneers in the field of electronic music.

Early life and career Peter Tahourdin was born in Bramdean, Hampshire in 1928. He was the second child, and only son, of Major Victor Tahourdin and Veronica Price.

Tahourdin went to Wellington College, and then in 1949 began his music studies at Trinity College of Music in London with Richard Arnell. He was appointed visiting composer to the University of Adelaide, on the recommendation of the chief conductor of the then South Australian Symphony Orchestra, Henry Krips, who had conducted his 2nd Sinfonietta.

Peter Tahourdin died on 28 July 2009, aged 80. He was survived by both wives, two daughters and two grandchildren.

Musical style and interests Tahourdin had wide musical interests including "chamber music, the orchestra, Indian music and music theatre", and five symphonies (1960, 1969, 1979, 1987, 1994), His Elegy for string orchestra and percussion, subtitled "A lament for a world that might have been", was written in 2005.

Chamber music Tahourdin's chamber music includes the Clarinet Sonata (1962), the four Dialogues (1971–84), the Quartet for Strings (1982), the Raga Music series (1985–88), Music for Solo Viola (2001), and Look at the Stars for flutes, clarinet, cello and marimba (2006). There are also solo works for piano, violin, cello and bassoon.

Vocal music His vocal music includes The Starlight Night (Gerard Manley Hopkins), Songs of Love and Fortune (1992, a setting of five poems from the Carmina Burana)., as well as two cycles written for the tenor Damien Top : Chansons intimes (7 poems by Andrée Brunin for voice and harpsichord) and The Ern Malley Sequence (tenor & piano) (2007)

Electronic music His electronic music includes Three Mobiles (1974), San Diego Canons (1983), Ern Malley – A Dramatic Testament (1976), and the Ern Malley Sequence (2007).