Description
Written by the woman who shared four decades of his life, this deeply personal portrait reveals the artistry and character of renowned clarinettist Gervase de Peyer. Celebrated among fellow musicians for his extraordinary musicianship and expressive tone, he transformed perceptions of the clarinet as a solo instrument and inspired leading composers to create works specifically for him. His distinguished international career included serving as principal clarinet of the London Symphony Orchestra and as a founding member of the Chamber Music Society of the Lincoln Center, achievements marked throughout by exceptional brilliance, elegance, and musical imagination.
Contents
1. My Dance, Our Symphony
2. New York
3. 16 Langford Place
4. The Chamber Music Society
5. Musical Roots
6. Horovitz, Milhaud, and Mozart
7. Life in New York
8. Musical Colleagues and Friends
9. Challenges
10. Carnegie Concert Hall and the World of Musicians
11. Porto Vecchio
12. A Music Festival at Sea
13. The Assisi Festa Musica Pro
14. Castello di Duino and a Turning Point
15. The Washington Sinfonia
16. More Musical Colleagues and Collaborations
17. Sweet and Sour
18. Master Teacher, Master Passeur
Acknowledgements
Newspaper, Text and Photographic Credits
Appendix A: Gervase de Peyer, Principal Clarinet
Appendix B: Select Recordings
Appendix C: An Extract from Portraits 1: Gervase de Peyer
Select Bibliography
About the Author
About the Author
Katia de Peyer’s first book Dancing with MySelf, Sensuous Exercises for Body, Mind and Spirit (Nucleus Publications, 1991; La Source Press, 2026) introduced her method of inner-centering through movement, hailed by Diane von Furstenberg as a whole new attitude about exercising. Her second book Enjoy Your Healing Power (La Source Press, 2025) is an intuitive, helpful guide for developing our healing power. A ballet dancer born in Paris who lived in Spain to further her studies in flamenco, Katia moved to New York in the late sixties to start a successful career as a personal trainer. There she met the virtuoso clarinettist Gervase de Peyer in 1976. She and Gervase married in 1980 and lived for two decades in the US and then in the UK until Gervase’s death in 2017. Katia continues her work as a writer and healer in London and New York.
Reviews
It’s a real delight to have within these pages so many fascinating insights into the life of one of the most distinguished alumni of the Royal College of Music. Gervase de Peyer was an inspiration to many generations of clarinettists and his influence extended well beyond his own instrument as one of the most brilliant performers of his era anywhere in the world.
Professor Colin Lawson CBE, Director Emeritus, Royal College of Music
Clarinettist who had Aaron Copland, Paul Hindemith and Francis Poulenc queuing up to have their works performed by him.
The Times
…an outstanding soloist and chamber musician…[who] inspired several composers to write new works…
The Guardian
Acclaimed as the most recorded clarinet soloist in the world…
The Independent
We’ve lost the man who gave us this utterly sublime clarinet tone.
Classic FM
