Peter McGarr is inspired by the dramatic moorland, urban horizons and volatile weather of the Northern English landscape. He hears a poetic beauty in falling rain, wind against stone and skies disrupted by man-made sounds. His music contrasts half-etched melodies with subtle layers of light and colour and follows in a long tradition of artists and composers who have interpreted the British landscape. Born in Manchester and self-taught in composition; for several years he taught steel pan, achieving the Outstanding Performance Award from Music for Youth for his steel band. He’s also attained the George Butterworth Award for Contemporary Music and been nominated for Music Teacher of the Year, British Composer Awards and the Paul Hamlyn Awards.