Pedro Oliveira Woolmer
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Pedro Oliveira Woolmer graduated with a Bachelor of Music (Composition) degree with first class honours from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music after studying with Damien Ricketson, Trevor Pearce and most recently with Nigel Butterley. In 2008 he worked on a collaborative project with a local artist, combining his five-movement work, Quartet for Flute, Violin, Viola and Guitar, with five associated paintings based heavily on deities of mythology.
It is the conflict between instruments that is so important to his compositions, whether it be by temporal layering or by the colour groupings of the ensemble. He is a strong believer in absolute music, music that can stand alone as an abstract art form and is powerful in the way it speaks to our subconscious and makes us feel things we cannot properly understand.
Along with composition, Pedro owns and plays a number of Brazilian percussion instruments such as the Pandeiro and Berimbau, using their unique tone and peculiarities in pieces especially written to join these instrumental colours with that of traditional western instruments. Pedro is also an accomplished pianist, winning a number of competitions and playing in gala concerts across the state. Currently he spends most of his time teaching piano.
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