Peter Luff to play with LA Phil

Queensland Conservatorium Deputy Director (Performance and Engagement) Peter Luff will soon experience a highlight of his career playing with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Distinguished horn player, teacher and conductor, Peter Luff, will soon play to the biggest crowd of his career as he performs with premier cultural institution, the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

The Deputy Director (Performance and Engagement) at Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University will take to the stage at the Hollywood Bowl on August 4 for the world premiere of Bruce Broughton’s ‘Fanfare for 16 Horns’.

The co-commission between the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the International Horn Symposium will also feature the horn sections of the New York Philharmonic, the American Horn Quartet, and half of the Berlin Philharmonic’s horn section.

It’s a career highlight that Peter describes as “incredibly humbling”.

“To think I’ll be playing next to people I’ve only ever watched on TV before is hard to believe, I never thought of myself as being in the same league!” he says.

“To play in the Hollywood Bowl in front of an audience upward of 10,000 people is something I’ve always dreamed of doing.”

As Vice President of the International Horn Society, Peter will also play a key role in the47th International Horn Symposium the same week.

This year’s theme, “Then and Now”, is a celebration and reflection of the horn’s role across time — a fitting subject that also aligns perfectly with his role in leading the QCGU’s award-winning horn department since 2000.

Jessica Goodrich
Jessica Goodrich is one of four students who will attend the International Horn Symposium this year.

Four of his students, Renee Kennedy, Jessica Goodrich (read her story here), Trestan McMillan and Billy Tanner, will also make the journey to Los Angeles to take part in the annual symposium.

It’s an opportunity that Peter says will give them a broader understanding of the diversity required to play stages all over the world.

“To see their idols performing and then to gain one-on-one access to the greatest players and teachers in the world will be an opportunity unlike any other,” he says.

“It will open their eyes to the genuinely international society of horn players and make them consider their future prospects.”

The BrassDepartment within the QCGU has one of the highest success rates, with graduates now performing in most major orchestras throughout Australia.

Learn more about studying with the Brass Department at Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University at Open Day, Sunday 9 August.

A presentation will take place at 10.00am in the Ian Hanger Recital Hall followed by a brass workshop at 10.45am in the Basil Jones Orchestral Hall at the Queensland Conservatorium in South Bank. Register on the day or online here.