Peter Dickinson

Peter Dickinson (15 November 1934 – 16 June 2023) was an English composer, musicologist, author, and pianist. Biography Dickinson was born in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, and studied organ at Queens' College, Cambridge, where he was a student of Philip Radcliffe. In 1958 he became a student at the Juilliard School in New York City, and studied with Bernard Wagenaar, and encountered the works of experimental composers such as Cowell, Cage, and Edgard Varèse. Returning to England in 1962, he established courses in improvisation and experimental music at the College of St. Mark and St. John, Chelsea. After a lectureship at Birmingham (1966–1970), he became the first professor of music at Keele University in 1974, where he created an important centre for the study of American music. He held that position until 1984. He served as chairman of music at Goldsmiths College, University of London from 1991 to 1997, and in 1996 became a Fellow and head of music at the Institute of United States Studies in London. In July 1964, he married Bridget Jane Tomkinson. Their marriage produced two sons. As a pianist, he often performed works by Charles Ives with his sister, mezzo-soprano Meriel Dickinson, reflecting his affinity for that composer. He also accompanied several acclaimed instrumentalists, such as violinist Ralph Holmes and oboist Sarah Francis. He also made several international lecture-recital tours. In 1980, Dickinson became a founding member of the Association of Professional Composers and was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts a year later. He was a board member of Trinity College of Music and a member of the Royal Society of Musicians. He was also chair of the Bernarr Rainbow Trust, a charity set up in 1997 for the benefit of music education.