Saxophonist Peter Sommer has contributed his energetic and graceful playing and creative spirit to a wide variety of musical projects ranging from mainstream bebop to classic and contemporary concert music to avant-garde improvisations at venues across the nation and around the world. 

Peter has released six albums as a leader. His latest release, Soulful Songs and Spirits (2022), features his working septet of Front Range jazz masters playing original arrangements and compositions inspired by legends of the art form. Previous releases include Sioux County (2006) on Tapestry Records, featuring his original compositions in duo with jazz piano legend Art Lande, Crossroads (2008) on Capri Records, featuring a two-tenor frontline with the great NYC saxophonist Rich Perry, and Tremolo Canteen (2010) and Narrando Historias (2015) on Dazzle Recordings. 

Sommer is also active as a concert saxophonist, performing recitals of newly commissioned pieces and masterworks both regionally and abroad. Recent performances include John Mackey's Soprano Saxophone Concerto and David Biedenbender's “Dreams in Dusk” with the Colorado State University Symphonic Band. He was also a member of the consortium to commission a new soprano saxophone concerto from William Bolcom, which he premiered in Fall 2016 with the CSU Wind Symphony, and a new sonata from James M. David, premiered in Fall 2019. 

Peter has performed with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, the Fort Collins Symphony, and the Cheyenne Symphony He has been a featured jazz soloist at North American Saxophone Alliance Regional and Biennial Conferences.  He has also performed at IAJE International Conferences in Anaheim and Toronto, Canada, at the Jeju International Wind Ensemble Festival in South Korea, and has performed at World Saxophone Congresses in Valencia, Spain, Bangkok, Thailand, St. Andrews, Scotland and Strasbourg, France. 

Peter Sommer is Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins and serves as the Director of Music for the School of Music, Theatre and Dance. He is a D’Addario Woodwinds Artist and performs exclusive on Select Jazz and Reserve Reeds on all of his instruments.