Peter Breinholt
(b. March 31, 1969 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania) is a recording artist popular in the Salt Lake City, Utah local music scene. His music is usually classified as folk.
Breinholt grew up in Devon, PA, a suburb of Philadelphia, where his father Robert H. Breinholt taught Management at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
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PETER BREINHOLT TICKETS
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Career
Peter learned to play piano and guitar and began writing songs around the age of 10. After graduating from the
University of Utah in 1993, Peter released an album entitled
Songs About the Great Divide
which became an underground phenomenon on Utah college campuses. Or not so underground, with groups like the marching band at
Brigham Young University soon playing the song, "You Wear Flowers" on the football field at halftime, and local high school choirs doing their own arrangements of the song. Breinholt began performing (and selling out) major concert halls in his home state of Utah and eventually in surrounding states.
Between 1993 and 1995, Breinholt & Big Parade played nearly 100 shows and slowly built their fan base. It was during these concerts the expanded Big Parade road-tested many of the songs that later appeared on Breinholt's second studio album, "Heartland". The underlying theme of that record is travel.
His touring band currently includes (former) Capitol Records recording artist
Ryan Shupe, banjo player Craig Miner, indie recording artist
David Tolk, with occasional appearances by harmonica-player
Greg Whiteley (who also directed the documentary film
New York Doll).
Breinholt's live album, "Live September", was recorded over three nights at the Sundance Amphitheater in the Utah mountains just a few days after the September 11, 2001 attacks. The album has become one of his most popular recordings. Peter has also performed his music with several symphony
orchestras and
choirs. On New Year's Eve 2006, Peter appeared as a featured guest with the
Mormon Tabernacle Choir in an event broadcast worldwide. He also performed throughout his native Salt Lake during 2002 Winter Olympics held there.
Other Projects
Peter's songs have also been used in CNN stories, movie trailers, and television. "First Song" is the current theme song for the syndicated TV show, "BrideAccess.com". His music was used in 1999 to launch computer company
iOmega's Hip Zip, a technological predecessor to the iPod. In 1997, Breinholt scored the music for the short film
We Didn't
, directed by his brother John Breinholt. In 2006 he directed (and scored) a documentary film entitled
Buckland's Station
. In 2007 he wrote and performed six songs for the feature film "Everyone Wants To Be Italian".
Over the years Peter has contributed to Especially For Youth albums. The compilation albums are released annually as part of the worldwide annual summer youth camps of the same name produced by Brigham Young University. Peter's songs have been included on multiple "Best of" albums.
Testimony at Judicial Hearing
In 2000, Peter testified at a
Senate Judiciary Committee field hearing organized by Senator
Orrin Hatch on the subject of
peer-to-peer technology, online
file-sharing, and
CD burning. Breinholt testified that he was against the illegal download of music that had recently emerged in the form of Napster. However, Breinholt also testified that he saw potential for independent artists, like himself, in the technology as long as copyrights for intellectual property were protected.
Napster-founder
Shawn Fanning also testified, along with half a dozen leaders from the high-tech industry.
Personal Life
Peter is married to Rebecca Pulsipher. They have three children and live in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Recordings
- Songs about the Great Divide (1993)
- Heartland (1996)
- Deep Summer (1999)
- Live September (2001)
- Noel (2002)
- All the Color Green (2006)
- The Best of Peter Breinholt (May 2008)
References