Composition Teacher

Peter Ware, Composition, Piano & Theory
Composer in Residence
MM, Yale University, Composition
BM, Virginia Commonwealth University, Composition

Lessons at Don Mills and McNicoll.
Peter studied composition at Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Cincinnati and Yale University. His principal teachers include Krzysztof Penderecki, Toru Takemitsu and theorist Allen Forte (Schenkerian analysis).

With a long established career in composition, Peter has attracted grants from the Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council and National Endowment for the Arts. His orchestra music has been commissioned/performed by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Virginia Symphony, Iceland Symphony and Orchestra London Canada.

Peter has received awards from the Minnesota Composers Forum, St. Louis New Music Circle, University of Cincinnati, Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society, Virginia Commonwealth University and Yale University. In 1993/4, Ware was Composer-of-the-Season for the Saskatoon Symphony.

He is a member of the Canadian Music Centre and Canadian League of Composers. https://www.peterware.com/

To book an assessment or a trial lesson call: 905-479-0591

Composition

Composition lessons $25 to $40.00 per half hour for private composition lessons.

The Magic

How did Chopin summons those notes to the page? We read that “he locked himself in his room for days, pacing up and down, fits of inspiration, breaking pens . . .” But that doesn’t answer the question.

Composition stems from an easy use of harmonic progressions and a correlation with melody. Notice how the melody of Silent Night fits perfectly with the accompanying chord changes. Even musicians who do not read music can set text/words to a progression of chords.

However, a Chopin Nocturne or Beethoven Sonata involves significantly more. Classical compositions stem from the moving relationships of voices through harmonic progressions. Chords are turned inside out, upside down, harmonies are borrowed from different keys and modulations through various keys keeps the excitement flowing.

Melodies imitate and overlap one another in polyphony. Notice how the thematic idea in a Bach fugue is introduced by one voice, but then is heard in all voices and registrations.
- Lynn Ware

Composer

Eddie Zhang, 15, Student Composer

First Place Composition North York Music Festival

Nocturne composed and performed by 15 year old Eddie Zhang. Eddie studies composition with Peter Ware. He completed his theory requirements for his ARCT in Performance at Ware Academy of Music with a 96% average.

“Composition is my means of true self-expression: within the world of composition, I can do whatever I want to affect the listener. I also find that sometimes when I'm completely focused on composing something, everything else disappears, time ceases to exist, and the music seems to write itself. Besides, it is a truly wonderful feeling to be able to create something that no one has heard before. When I finish a piece, it gives me a sense of accomplishment that I've never gotten from anything else.”

Here's what I have regarding why I compose:

Composition is my means of true self-expression: within the world of composition, I can do whatever I want to affect the listener (and I'm always right). However, when performing another composer's music, I can only follow the score, or else the musical establishment will tell me "no, Beethoven didn't write that... Play all the chords exactly together... that kind of rubato isn't acceptable anymore... what, that's what you call an Adagio?" I also find that sometimes when I'm completely focused on composing something, everything else disappears, time ceases to exist, and the music seems to write itself. Besides, it is a truly wonderful feeling to be able to create something that no one as heard before, and when I finish a piece, it gives me a sense of accomplishment that I've never gotten from anything else.

The Door

After the completion of harmony, counterpoint, analysis and history, musicians arrive at a door of opportunity to enter the world of composition. It is a world of unlimited possibility where they can explore styles freely that spring from their own ideas to express passion, tenderness and humor.

But like all other musical pursuits, it is an “active state, meaning that the student must invest daily and weekly time to explore and develop different styles and ideas within themselves.

Composition is a path of self-discovery, sometimes involving a torturous “working out of details.” That is the artistic process - creativity.