Gervase de Peyer as I knew him

Book cover: Gervase de Peyer as I knew him

Extent: 240 pages

Publisher: Wiley-VCH

Subjects: Music & Performing Arts

Language: English

Paperback (Published)

(October 2026)

ISBN: 9781068776229

Price: $31.00

Written by the woman who shared four decades of his life, this deeply personal portrait reveals the artistry and character of renowned clarinettist Gervase de Peyer. His distinguished international career included serving as principal clarinet of the London Symphony Orchestra and as a founding member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.


An intimate portrait of the famous classical clarinettist Gervase de Peyer by his wife and partner of forty years. A musicians’ musician, Gervase was admired by his peers for extending the range of the clarinet as a solo instrument, inspiring many acclaimed classical composers to write with his tone in mind, and for the musical brilliance and flair that spurred his international career, including as principal clarinet of the London Symphony Orchestra and a founding member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Through accounts of Gervase’s collaborations with Aaron Copland, Arthur Benjamin, Antal Dorati, Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, Berthold Goldschmidt, Joseph Horowitz, Thea Musgrave, Daniel Barenboim, Jacqueline du Pré and others, this memoir illumines a fascinating time in classical music.