Peter Hannan: No brighter sun : no darker night (2009)

The idea for this work came to me when I was in Lesotho in December 2008 for the
second time in 2 years, accompanying my wife who was working as a doctor in an
HIV/AIDS clinic. I’ve experienced firsthand the situation in a country that is at the
bottom of the world economic scale, has a disastrous rate of HIV infection and a country
whose population has essentially been left to die by the rest of the world. Children of
course are hugely affected in many different ways. The texts represent something of my
experience there.

Peter Hannan has composed numerous works in both acoustic and electronic media.He has written more than 50 commissions over the past 20 years , including large scale works for the Vancouver Symphony, the Winnipeg Symphony, the CBC Orchestra and the Pacific Baroque Orchestra;  works for the experimental large ensembles Icebreaker (London) , the Hardrubber Orchestra, and Toronto based Hemispheres. His recent piece for the Vancouver Symphony, side with entropy received a raucus reception at its premiere in March 2005.His most recent work, written for the Vancouver Cantata Singers is called Happiness Index and explores the need that drives people  to understand and find happiness.

A very fruitful and inspiring collaboration of recent years has been with the director and playwright Peter Hinton. In recent years, Hannan and Hinton have created  two new operas together . 120 Songs for the Marquis de Sade  opened in Vancouver in March 2002, and The Diana Cantata appeared in February 2003, both works produced by Modern Baroque Opera . Hannan also wrote the music for Peter Hinton’s 2006 production of The Duchess of Malfi at the Stratford Festival of Canada. Hannan and Hinton are currently collaborating on a new music theatre work for the National Arts Centre.

As a performer, Hannan is well known for his work as an electronic instrumentalist and recorder soloist .  He has performed as a soloist on many major new music events and series including :  Ijsbreker Amsterdam,  the Holland Festival,  Almeida Festival, Freunde Guter Musik Berlin, the Bourges Electronic Music Festival, New Music America, New Music Concerts and Arraymusic.

In the 1980’s and 90’s he toured and recorded throughout North America and Europe with Suzie Leblanc and New World Consort . His recording Baroque Sonatas and Canzonas with harpsichordist Colin Tilney from 1985 is still played regularly on BBC Radio.

He is currently active as a performer of live electronic music, particularly in his work with Toronto composer Henry Kucharzyk in the duo PHH!K. His recordings include PHH!K Songs  with Henry Kucharzyk and Christine Duncan,  Breakdown, his solo CD of new recorder music, and numerous Canadian and international radio recordings, including CBC Radio, BBC Radio, WDR Koln, Radio Bremen, Radio France, and NOS Radio, Holland.