Like Bruce Hornsby, Peter Harris attended the University of Miami. He played guitar, mandolin, keyboards and orchestrated in Bruce Hornsby and the Range and has composed several TV scores.
Band member: 1986 – 1999
Albums:
- Scenes from the Southside
- Greatest Radio Hits
- Halcyon Days (album) – orchestral arrangements on Dreamland and Hooray for Tom
Instruments:
Peter Harris, born into a musically inclined family, began studying violin at age nine. He later embraced rock music, learning guitar influenced by icons like Hendrix and Clapton. His early passion for composition led him to study under Jerry Owen and later earn a degree in Music from the University of Miami, where he studied with notable musicians like Alfred Reed and Pat Metheny. He played with the University of Miami Concert Jazz Band and performed with artists like Burt Bacharach and the Miami Philharmonic.
Post-graduation, Harris toured with Chuck Mangione and later Bruce Hornsby. His collaboration with Hornsby extended beyond live tours, including co-scoring the Emmy-winning CBS special “Soldier Boys”. Harris worked on various film projects, such as “Elmore Leonard’s Gold Coast”, combining cinematic scoring with his expertise in rhythm and blues. He also orchestrated music for composer Snuffy Walden and scored the hit Sundance film “Happy, Texas”.
Alongside his scoring work, Harris has maintained a passion for performing, even with artists like Peter Weller and Jeff Goldblum. A seasoned composer, Harris continues creating and orchestrating across genres with a state-of-the-art composing system.