Peter Oberg
Encyclopedia
Born in 1953, Peter Oberg is a musician
, composer
, and luthier
living in San Diego, California
. He has been playing and composing for the classical guitar
for over 40 years.
, though even this falls short of adequately describing the character of his compositions. He credits as influences composers as diverse as Federico Mompou
, Claude Debussy
, Maurice Ravel
, Ralph Towner
, Keith Jarrett
, Joaquín Rodrigo
, Darius Milhaud
, Egberto Gismonti
, and many others too numerous to mention. His compositions seek to use musical space, complex harmonies, and unexpected linear rhythmic changes, combined with a relaxed tension expressed through an expert use of rubato. Several accomplished classical guitarists including Antonio De Innocentis, Matthew Grasso, and the Scottish guitarist Matthew McAllister have performed his compositions.
s since 1996. He spent three years as apprentice to two of America’s top luthiers, Ervin Somogyi
and Robert Ruck. It was his two years living in Washington state
and working full time with Ruck that allowed Oberg to understand fully the complex nature of guitar building, and provided him the opportunity to hone skills acquired during a 20 year career as a woodworker, building everything from wooden racing sloops to reproduction English antiques and fine furniture. To date Oberg has completed over 125 classical guitars, and his instruments are played all over the United States, in Canada
, and in Europe
.
Peter Oberg lives with his wife Jannine in San Diego, California. Jannine is a professional astrologer
and relationship coach active in many professional organizations. His stepson Brian M. Palmer is a photographer, essayist, and chronicler of offbeat pop culture.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, and luthier
Luthier
A luthier is someone who makes or repairs lutes and other string instruments. In the United States, the term is used interchangeably with a term for the specialty of each maker, such as violinmaker, guitar maker, lute maker, etc...
living in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. He has been playing and composing for the classical guitar
Classical guitar
The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
for over 40 years.
Musical style
Oberg's musical style might be categorized as a hybridization of classical and jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, though even this falls short of adequately describing the character of his compositions. He credits as influences composers as diverse as Federico Mompou
Federico Mompou
Frederic Mompou i Dencausse was a Catalan Spanish composer and pianist. He is best known for his solo piano music and his songs.-Life:...
, Claude Debussy
Claude Debussy
Claude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
, Maurice Ravel
Maurice Ravel
Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
, Ralph Towner
Ralph Towner
Ralph Towner is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and bandleader. He plays the twelve-string guitar, classical guitar, piano, synthesizer, percussion and trumpet.-Biography:...
, Keith Jarrett
Keith Jarrett
Keith Jarrett is an American pianist and composer who performs both jazz and classical music.Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey, moving on to play with Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s he has enjoyed a great deal of success in jazz, jazz fusion, and classical music; as...
, Joaquín Rodrigo
Joaquín Rodrigo
Joaquín Rodrigo Vidre, 1st Marquis of the Gardens of Aranjuez , commonly known as Joaquín Rodrigo, was a composer of classical music and a virtuoso pianist. Despite being nearly blind from an early age, he achieved great success...
, Darius Milhaud
Darius Milhaud
Darius Milhaud was a French composer and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as The Group of Six—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions are influenced by jazz and make use of polytonality...
, Egberto Gismonti
Egberto Gismonti
Egberto Gismonti Amin is a Brazilian composer, guitarist and pianist.Gismonti began his formal music studies at the age of six on piano. After studying classical music for 15 years, he went to Paris to study orchestration and analysis with Nadia Boulanger and the composer Jean Barraqué, a disciple...
, and many others too numerous to mention. His compositions seek to use musical space, complex harmonies, and unexpected linear rhythmic changes, combined with a relaxed tension expressed through an expert use of rubato. Several accomplished classical guitarists including Antonio De Innocentis, Matthew Grasso, and the Scottish guitarist Matthew McAllister have performed his compositions.
Luthier
As a professional luthier Oberg has been building classical guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s since 1996. He spent three years as apprentice to two of America’s top luthiers, Ervin Somogyi
Ervin Somogyi
Ervin V. Somogyi is a pioneer of steel string guitar making. Considered to be one of its leading practitioners and authorities, he is most highly regarded for the high level of his craftsmanship, the originality of his designs, and especially for his control of the voicing and the sound of this...
and Robert Ruck. It was his two years living in Washington state
Washington State
Washington State may refer to:* Washington , often referred to as "Washington state" to differentiate it from Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States* Washington State University, a land-grant college in that state- See also :...
and working full time with Ruck that allowed Oberg to understand fully the complex nature of guitar building, and provided him the opportunity to hone skills acquired during a 20 year career as a woodworker, building everything from wooden racing sloops to reproduction English antiques and fine furniture. To date Oberg has completed over 125 classical guitars, and his instruments are played all over the United States, in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Peter Oberg lives with his wife Jannine in San Diego, California. Jannine is a professional astrologer
Astrologer
An astrologer practices one or more forms of astrology. Typically an astrologer draws a horoscope for the time of an event, such as a person's birth, and interprets celestial points and their placements at the time of the event to better understand someone, determine the auspiciousness of an...
and relationship coach active in many professional organizations. His stepson Brian M. Palmer is a photographer, essayist, and chronicler of offbeat pop culture.