Peter Butterfield is aCanadianconductor and classicaltenor. In 2003 he founded theVancouverVoices and since 2009 he has been the director of theVictoria Philharmonic Choir. As a singer he has performed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America; working primarily as a concert singer since the early 1980s. He has also appeared on radio and television programs in Canada, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Butterfield was raised inVictoria, British Columbia in a musical family (the tenorBenjamin Butterfield and the composerChristopher Butterfield are his brothers),[1] and is a graduate ofMcGill University where he earned a bachelor's degree in economics and music. He did further voice studies at theRoyal Northern College of Music in Manchester, and in Modena, Italy as a pupil ofArrigo Pola, the teacher ofLuciano Pavarotti, and withDiane Forlano inLondon,England.
Butterfield made his professional debut as a concert soloist with theMontreal Symphony Orchestra in 1982. Since then he has been performing internationally. After moving to Europe in 1987 he continued to build his singing career in England and then in Italy. As a soloist he has appeared withThe Bach Choir, theBayreuth Festival Chorus with conductorNorbert Balatsch, theMonteverdi Choir under the baton ofSir John Eliot Gardiner, and thePhilharmonia Chorus. He has also appeared inoperas, including appearances at theTeatro Comunale Florence, theOpéra de Monte-Carlo, a portrayal of the title role inBenjamin Britten'sAlbert Herring at theAldeburgh Festival, and in Cosi fan tutte, in London.
In his native country, Butterfield has sung as a soloist with theToronto Symphony Orchestra, theSymphony Nova Scotia, theKingston Symphony, theEdmonton Symphony Orchestra, theNational Arts Centre Orchestra, theTafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, theVancouver Symphony Orchestra, and theVictoria Symphony. He has also worked with theStudio de musique ancienne de Montréal on a number of occasions. In 2007 he notably replaced an ailingBen Heppner at the last minute as the tenor soloist inEdward Elgar'sThe Dream of Gerontius with the Vancouver Symphony.[2]
In the United States Butterfield has performed with orchestras and choruses in Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Denver, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington D.C. In Europe he has performed in concert in numerous places, including theConcertgebouw in Amsterdam, thePalais des Beaux Arts in Brussels, theBarbican Centre in London, theMusikverein in Vienna, and theGrosses Festspielhaus in Salzburg. In Asia he has sung in Japan, South Korea Hong King, notably appearing as the tenor soloist in an internationally broadcast production ofJohann Sebastian Bach'sMass in B Minor fromSuntory Hall in Tokyo. In addition, he has performed under the batons of such conductors asSteuart Bedford,Jane Glover,Christopher Hogwood,Jeanne Lamon, andNicholas McGegan.
In addition to maintaining his singing career, Butterfield has worked as a professional conductor since the early 1990s, beginning with various groups in Italy and England. From 1992 to 1997 he served as the associate conductor ofI Solisti Madrigale in Florence. After having lived in England for ten years, he moved back to the West Coast of Canada in 2001 where he was music director of theVancouver Cantata Singers and in 2003, he established the chamber choirVancouverVoices. In 2007 he went on to establish VancouverVoicesYouth choir for singers 10–18 years. In April 2009 he succeededSimon Capet as the director of theVictoria Philharmonic Choir.
Butterfield has recorded threemasses byJoseph Haydn with Sir John Eliot Gardiner forPhilips Classics Records where he appears as the tenor soloist. One of those recordings was named "recording of the month" byGramophone in January 2003. His other recordings as a soloist include theMonyeverdi and the Sixth Book of Madrigals on theNuova Era label, two recordings with theWinchester Cathedral Choir and conductorDavid Hill forDecca Records, andSergei Rachmaninoff'sAll-Night Vigil with David Hill and The Philharmonia Chorus forNimbus Records.