Peter F. Wolf is a composer, producer, songwriter and arranger. He was awarded the highest honor for artists from his birth country of Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

, the Österreichisches Ehrenzeichen für Wissenschaft und Kunst (Austrian Honor Badge for Science and Art).

Early years

Wolf studied classical piano at Vienna’s Conservatory of Music. At the age of 16, he won the European Jazz Festival as a solo pianist. Wolf was awarded twice with the Deutscher Schallplattenpreis

Deutscher Schallplattenpreis

The Deutscher Schallplattenpreis was a prize that the Deutsche Phono-Akademie awarded from 1963 through 1992. Its successor is the ECHO prize....

, a German award, for his work with Andre Heller and Erika Pluhar

Erika Pluhar

Erika Pluhar is an actress, singer and author from Austria and was born on 28 February 1939 in Vienna.Erika Pluhar is the daughter of Anna and Dr Josef Pluhar. One of her sisters, Ingeborg G...

.

Coming to America in his early twenties, Wolf worked with local musicians such as Neal Starkey

Neal Starkey

Neal Starkey is an American jazz bassist residing in Atlanta, Georgia. He has had a long and varied career, performing with many of the most notable names in jazz, including Kenny Barron, Eddie Harris, Sonny Stitt, Duke Pearson, Al Cohn, Charlie Rouse, Barney Kessel and many others. He is a...

 (bassist) and Bill Hatcher

Bill Hatcher

Bill Hatcher is an America photographer. His first story published in National Geographic was “Storming the Tower” May 1996, a cover story that documents the free ascent of the East face of the Nameless Tower in the Trango Towers, Pakistan.He has covered other stories for National Geographic ...

 (guitarist) in Atlanta, Georgia and with Steve Sample Jr (drummer, son of Steve Sample, Sr

Steve Sample, Sr

Steve Sample, Sr is a renowned bandleader, arranger, composer and jazz educator now residing in Bellingham, Washington. For more than 30 years, Sample was a professor in the Music Department of the University of Alabama, where he directed the Jazz Ensembles and taught music theory, arranging and...

) and Ray Reach

Ray Reach

Raymond Everett Reach, Jr. is an American pianist, vocalist and educator residing in Birmingham, Alabama, now serving as Director of Student Jazz Programs for the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, director of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-Stars and President and CEO of Ray Reach Music and Magic City...

 (keyboardist, guitarist, vocalist) in Birmingham, Alabama.

After his time in the southeastern United States, he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he played keyboards for Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa

Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...

 in the late 1970s. After his work with Zappa, he then went on to the band Group 87 with Patrick O'Hearn

Patrick O'Hearn

Patrick O'Hearn is an American multi-instrumentalist musician, composer and recording artist. While his musical repertoire spans a diverse range of music, he is an acclaimed New Age artist in his solo career...

, Terry Bozzio

Terry Bozzio

Terry John Bozzio is an American drummer best known for his work with Missing Persons and Frank Zappa.-Biography:Terry Bozzio was born December 27, 1950 in San Francisco, California. He started at age 6 playing makeshift drum sets. At the age of 13 he saw The Beatles premier performance on The Ed...

, Peter Maunu, and Mark Isham

Mark Isham

Mark Isham is an American trumpeter, synthesist, and film composer. He works in a variety of genres, including jazz, electronic, and film.-Life and career:...

.

Recent Awards

In 2008, Peter was honored with a BAMA Award (Birmingham Area Music Award) for his contributions to the Birmingham music scene. This award is the local Birmingham equivalent of the Grammy. Peter and Chuck Leavell

Chuck Leavell

Chuck Leavell is an American pianist and keyboardist, who was a member of The Allman Brothers Band throughout the height of their popularity, a founding member of the jazz-rock combo Sea Level, a frequently-employed session musician, and later, the keyboardist for Eric Clapton and The Rolling...

 both performed at the BAMA Award ceremony, backed by the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-Stars

Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-Stars

The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-Stars is a working jazz ensemble, featuring some of the finest jazz musicians Alabama has to offer...

, directed by Ray Reach

Ray Reach

Raymond Everett Reach, Jr. is an American pianist, vocalist and educator residing in Birmingham, Alabama, now serving as Director of Student Jazz Programs for the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, director of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-Stars and President and CEO of Ray Reach Music and Magic City...

.

Recordings made with Frank Zappa

• Sheik Yerbouti (March 1979), #21 US (Single "Bobby Brown", Peter Wolf on Keyboards, Butter, Flora Margarine)
• Joe's Garage 1 (1979), #27 US
• Joe's Gagage 2 & 3 (April–June 1979)
• Tinsel Town Rebellion (May 11, 1981), #66 US
• Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar (May 1981)

Studio keyboard and arranging work

Wolf was one of America's top ranking studio keyboardists and arrangers from 1980 to 1985 and became very successful as a music producer and songwriter.

Peter Wolf produced eight #1 songs and has produced, arranged and/or written for a wide range of musical talents. A list of his pop hit productions includes:

• Jefferson Starship
  Jefferson Starship
  Jefferson Starship is an American rock band formed in the early 1970s. The group is a spin-off from the iconic 1960s psychedelic/folk group Jefferson Airplane. The band has undergone several major changes in personnel and genres through the years while retaining the same Jefferson Starship name...
  
   ("No Way Out" #23 US, 1984)
• The Commodores ("Nightshift" #3 US, #3 UK, 1985)
• Starship ("We Built This City" #1 US, #12 UK, 16 and 23 Nov. 1985)
• Starship ("Sara" #1 US, March 15, 1986)
• Wang Chung
  Wang Chung (band)
  Wang Chung are an English New Wave musical group.The group found their greatest success in America, with five Top 40 hits in the US, all charting between 1983 and 1987, including "Dance Hall Days" , "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" and "Let's Go!" .-Pre-history: The Intellektuals and 57 Men :Jeremy...
  
   ("Everybody Have Fun Tonight" #2 US, #76 UK, 1986)
• Wang Chung
  Wang Chung (band)
  Wang Chung are an English New Wave musical group.The group found their greatest success in America, with five Top 40 hits in the US, all charting between 1983 and 1987, including "Dance Hall Days" , "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" and "Let's Go!" .-Pre-history: The Intellektuals and 57 Men :Jeremy...
  
   ("Let's Go" #9 US, #81 UK, 1987)
• El Debarge
  El DeBarge
  Eldra Patrick "El" DeBarge is an American R&B/pop falsetto singer and was the focal point and lead singer of the family group DeBarge throughout the early to mid-1980s....
  
   ("Who's Johnny" #1 US, 1986, main theme of the film, Short Circuit)
• Nik Kershaw
  Nik Kershaw
  Nik Kershaw is an English singer-songwriter. The one time jazz-funk guitarist was a mid-1980s teen idol. His 50 weeks on the UK Singles Chart in 1984 beat all other soloists...
  
   ("The Works", 1989)
• Go West
  Go West (band)
  Go West is an English pop duo, formed in 1982 by lead vocalist and drummer Peter Cox ; and guitarist and vocalist Richard Drummie...
  
   ("King of Wishful Thinking" from the film Pretty Woman
  Pretty Woman
  Pretty Woman is a 1990 romantic comedy film set in Los Angeles, California. Written by J.F. Lawton and directed by Garry Marshall, this motion picture features Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, and also Hector Elizondo, Ralph Bellamy, and Jason Alexander in supporting roles. Roberts played the only...
  
  #8 US, #18 UK, 1990)
• Go West
  Go West (band)
  Go West is an English pop duo, formed in 1982 by lead vocalist and drummer Peter Cox ; and guitarist and vocalist Richard Drummie...
  
   ("Faithful" #14 US, #13 UK, 1992)
• Heart
  Heart (band)
  Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
  
   ("These Dreams" #1 US, 1986),
• Heart
  Heart (band)
  Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
  
   ("What About Love" #10 US, 1985) (Synth, Piano & Creative Input)
• Patti Labelle
  Patti LaBelle
  Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
  
   ("On My Own" #1 US, 1986)
• Kenny Loggins
  Kenny Loggins
  During the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack...
  
   ("Playing with the Boys" from the films Top Gun
  Top Gun
  Top Gun may refer to:* Top Gun is a 1986 film starring Tom Cruise.**Top Gun , soundtrack to the movie**Top Gun , a number of games based on the movie...
  
  and Avalon)
• The Escape Club
  The Escape Club
  The Escape Club began in 1983 as an English pop rock band based in London. The band was composed of former Mad Shadows members' lead singer/rhythm guitarist Trevor Steel and guitarist John Holliday, along with former Expressos members bassist Johnnie Christo and drummer Milan Zekavica...
  
   ("I'll Be There" #8 US, 1991)
• Starship ("Good Heart" #81 US, 1991)
• Indecent Obsession
  Indecent Obsession
  Indecent Obsession was an Australian pop band. They formed in 1987 in Brisbane.Australian music guru Molly Meldrum signed the band to his record label Melodian. The band tasted success with the single "Say Goodbye" hitting the Australian Top 10 in August 1989...
  
   ("Kiss Me" #1 South Africa for 27 weeks, 1992)

Others Wolf has worked with include such popular but disparate artists as Paula Abdul

Paula Abdul

Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...

, Pablo Cruise

Pablo Cruise

Pablo Cruise is a pop/rock band currently composed of David Jenkins , Cory Lerios , Steve Price and Larry Antonino . Formed in 1973, the band released eight studio albums over the next decade, during which time four singles reached the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart...

, Grace Slick

Grace Slick

Grace Slick is an American singer and songwriter, who was one of the lead singers of the rock groups The Great Society, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, and Starship, and was a solo artist, for nearly three decades, from the mid-1960s to the mid-1990s...

, Santana

Santana (band)

Santana is a rock band based around guitarist Carlos Santana and founded in the late 1960s. It first came to public attention after their performing the song "Soul Sacrifice" at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, when their Latin rock provided a contrast to other acts on the bill...

, Survivor

Survivor (band)

Survivor is an American rock band formed in Chicago in 1978. The band achieved its greatest success in the 1980s with its AOR sound, which garnered many charting singles, especially in the United States. The band is best known for its double platinum-certified 1982 hit "Eye of the Tiger", the theme...

, The Pointer Sisters, Chicago

Chicago (band)

Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...

, Cliff Richard

Cliff Richard

Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....

, Natalie Cole

Natalie Cole

Natalie Maria Cole , is an American singer, songwriter and performer. The daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, Cole rode to musical success in the mid-1970s as an R&B artist with the hits "This Will Be ", "Inseparable" and "Our Love"...

, The Scorpions

Scorpions (band)

Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...

, 'N Sync

'N Sync

N Sync was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich, *NSYNC consisted of JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick...

, Oleta Adams

Oleta Adams

Oleta Adams is an American soul, jazz, and gospel singer and pianist.-Biography:Adams was born the daughter of a preacher and was raised with gospel music. In her youth her family moved to Yakima, Washington, which is sometimes shown as her place of birth.Before gaining her opportunity to perform,...

, Big Country

Big Country

Big Country are a Scottish rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife in 1981. They were most popular in the early to mid-1980s, but they still release material for a cult following...

, Lou Gramm

Lou Gramm

Lou Gramm is an American rock vocalist and songwriter best known for his role as the lead vocalist and co-writer of many of the songs for the rock band Foreigner. He also had a successful solo career...

, Sérgio Mendes

Sergio Mendes

Sérgio Santos Mendes is a Brazilian musician. He has released over thirty-five albums, and plays bossa nova heavily crossed with jazz and funk....

, Boz Scaggs

Boz Scaggs

William Royce "Boz" Scaggs is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He gained fame in the 1970s with several Top 20 hit singles in the United States, along with the #2 album, Silk Degrees. Scaggs continues to write, record music and tour.-Early life and career:Scaggs was born in Canton,...

, Joe Sample

Joe Sample

Joseph Leslie "Joe" Sample is an American pianist, keyboard player and composer.He is one of the founding members of the Jazz Crusaders, the band which became simply The Crusaders in 1971, and remained a part of the group until its final album in 1991 .- Biography :Sample began playing the piano...

, Thomas Anders

Thomas Anders

Thomas Anders is a German singer, composer and record producer. Anders was the lead singer of Germany's popular pop-duo Modern Talking in 1984–1987 and in 1998–2003.-Early years:...

, Laura Branigan

Laura Branigan

Laura Ann Branigan was an American singer-songwriter and actress of Italian and Irish ancestry. She is best known in the United States for her 1982 Platinum-certified hit "Gloria" and in Europe for the number-one single "Self Control"...

, BB King, Zucchero

Zucchero

Adelmo Fornaciari, Commander , more commonly known by his stage name Zucchero Fornaciari or simply Zucchero /ˈtsukkero/, is an Italian rock singer. His music is largely inspired by gospel, blues and rock music, and alternates between ballads and more rhythmic boogie-like pieces.Zucchero is the...

 and The Who

The Who

The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...

.

Film scores

In addition to his career in the world of rock and popular music, Wolf has scored a number of motion pictures including the 1993 film Neverending Story III, and Weekend at Bernie's II

Weekend at Bernie's II

Weekend at Bernie's II is a comedy film released in 1993 by TriStar Pictures and was the sequel to the 1989 comedy Weekend at Bernie's.- Plot :...

. Wolf has also composed many scores in Europe including the new animated picture for the Oscar-winning “Best Foreign Film” producer, Sven Ebeling, entitled “Nutcracker and Mouse King”, nominated for the Deutscher Filmpreis. He scored Leon DeWinter’s film The Hollywood Sign, starring Rod Steiger

Rod Steiger

Rodney Stephen "Rod" Steiger was an Academy Award-winning American actor known for his performances in such films as On the Waterfront, The Big Knife, Oklahoma!, The Harder They Fall, Across the Bridge, The Pawnbroker, Doctor Zhivago, In the Heat of the Night, and Waterloo as well as the...

, Burt Reynolds

Burt Reynolds

Burton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Bobby "Gator" McCluskey in White Lightning and sequel Gator, Paul Crewe and Coach Nate Scarborough in The Longest Yard and its...

 and Tom Berenger

Tom Berenger

Tom Berenger is an American actor known mainly for his roles in action films.-Early life:Berenger was born as Thomas Michael Moore in Chicago to an Irish Catholic family. Berenger's father was a printer for the Chicago Sun-Times. Berenger has a sister, Susan...

.

Wolf’s other compositional credits also include the score for the number one German picture in 1997 Irren Ist Männlich (To Err is a Male Thing), as well as films such as Die Cellistin (The Cellist), Widows, St. Pauli Nacht (St. Pauli Night) and The Fearless Four. Peter Wolf is currently composing songs and the score for the American picture Band on the Run to be released in 2008. In 1995 Wolf received the "Billy Wilder Award" of the Austrian Film Academy and University of Vienna.

Albums

• 1969 - A Change in My Life
• 1980 - Tutti
• 2000 - Progression - A Symphony by Peter Wolf
• 2003 - The Other Side
• 2004 - Sense-ation - A Symphony by Peter Wolf

Singles

• 1969 - "Kraft durch Freude"
• 1980 - "Tutti"(dedicated to his friend Janus)

External links

• http://www.powerhausmusic.com/