Peter Gordon

Who is Peter Gordon?

Peter Gordon is an American experimental composer and musician, whose music draws from influences as diverse as jazz, opera, rock and world music. He has released several albums, and has also composed film and theatre scores.

Gordon earned a BA in composition at University of California, San Diego, where he studied with Kenneth Gaburo and Roger Reynolds; he earned an MFA at the Mills College Center for Contemporary Music, where he studied with Robert Ashley and Terry Riley.

In addition to his own work, and that with his Love of Life Orchestra, he has appeared on or composed music for albums by Laurie Anderson, Suzanne Vega, David Johansen, The Flying Lizards, David Van Tieghem, Lawrence Weiner, and Arthur Russell.

In 2007, James Murphy and Pat Mahoney of LCD Soundsystem used Gordon's classic Downtown tracks "Beginning of the Heartbreak" and "Don't Don't" to open their highly-acclaimed dance mix Fabriclive 36.

In 2008 an excerpt of his opera "The Society Architect Ponders the Golden Gate Bridge" was issued on the compilation album Crosstalk: American Speech Music produced by Mendi + Keith Obadike. Gordon wrote the scores for the serial mystery drama "The Necklace", presented by The Talking Band. He also worked on the soundtrack to Desperate Housewives.