Peter Seymour

Biography

Peter Seymour’s musical path began at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, where he took home the 1997 Down Beat Award for best jazz soloist. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a Master of Music from Rice University, studying under Paul Ellison. During his college years, he took part in top-tier American festivals such as the Music Academy of the West, Chautauqua Institution, and the New York String Orchestra Seminar at Mannes College.

After finishing his studies, Seymour joined the New World Symphony Orchestra, working under conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, and later spent seven seasons with the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra. His resume also includes performances with major ensembles like the Houston Symphony, Iris Orchestra, the New York City Ballet, and the Cleveland Orchestra. While with the Colorado Music Festival, Seymour and cellist Eric Stephenson came up with the idea for a chamber group that would blend jazz, classical, and popular music.

They envisioned meeting two or three times a year in different U.S. cities for a week of concerts and educational outreach. They brought flautist Greg Patillo into the fold, forming Project Trio. In 2005, the trio debuted in Cleveland with performances and youth workshops. Seymour kept working as a substitute for the Cleveland Orchestra, but after Patillo posted a YouTube video that went viral for its mix of beatboxing and flute, Seymour was convinced to relocate to New York City and commit fully to the group.

Since then, Project Trio has released three well-received albums and played everywhere from the Kennedy Center and Brooklyn Academy of Music to South By Southwest, as well as clubs, classrooms, and festivals worldwide. The ensemble remains deeply involved in music education.