Peter Finger (born 11 October 1954) is a
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
acoustic fingerstyle guitarist, songwriter, composer and record producer.
His most notable recordings include "Just Another Day in May", "Vielleicht Im Nächsten Leben", "Fanesca", "For You", "101 South", "Blue Horizon", and "No Man's Land".
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
journalist
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...
, Tim Sheridan, noted when relating to Finger's 1999 album, ''Open Strings'', that "Finger displays remarkable skill and sensitivity as a musician. The title track is a standout showcase of jaw-dropping technical skill and melodic invention".
Biography
Life and career
Peter Finger was born in
Weimar
Weimar is a city in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in Central Germany between Erfurt in the west and Jena in the east, approximately southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together with the neighbouri ...
,
Thuringia
Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million.
Erfurt is the capital and lar ...
, Germany. He came from a musical family with his father being employed as an orchestral conductor, and Finger studied both violin and piano before taking lessons on guitar playing at the age of 13.
He won first prize for classical violin in the
Jugend musiziert
''Jugend musiziert'' is a music competition for children and adolescents in Germany on regional, federal and national level.
''Jugend musiziert'' in Germany
In Germany, the nationwide competition refers to young adults up to 20 years and for the ...
on two occasions.
He later studied music in
Münster
Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a state di ...
.
His debut recording took place in 1973, which saw ''Bottleneck Guitar Solos'' issued by
Kicking Mule Records.
Following further releases, Finger toured from 1976 onwards and performed worldwide. He later expanded his activities to include production work for radio, television and films.
In 1981, he commenced composing works for orchestral arrangements, and this led four years later to similar work for television and film productions.
In 1985, he was awarded first prize in a competition run by the
Oldenburgisches Staatstheater
The Oldenburgisches Staatstheater (Oldenburg State Theatre) is a German theater in the city of Oldenburg, Lower Saxony.
Beginnings
The theatre was first opened in the times of the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, on 1 February 1833. At that time it was ...
, for his composition "Herbstwind" ("Autumn Wind").
In the same decade, Finger also performed in a duo with the vibraphone player, Florian Poser, and in a trio with
Trilok Gurtu
Trilok Gurtu (born 30 October 1951) is an Indian percussionist and composer whose work has blended the music of India with jazz fusion and world music.
He has worked with Terje Rypdal, Gary Moore, John McLaughlin, Jan Garbarek, Joe Zawinul, ...
and
Charlie Mariano
Carmine Ugo Mariano (November 12, 1923 – June 16, 2009) was an American jazz saxophonist who focused on the alto and soprano saxophone. He occasionally performed and recorded on flute and nadaswaram as well.
Biography
Mariano was born in ...
.
By 1988, Finger had set up his own music publishing business and record label, the latter being known as Acoustic Music Records. From 1995 onwards he worked as the publisher of the ''Akustik Gitarre'' magazine.
Finger returned to recording in the early 1990s, which included the albums ''Niemandsland'' (1993) and ''Solo'' (1995).
In 2000, Finger produced the Open Strings Festival in Germany for the third time.
Live performances
In 2008, Finger performed at the
Guitares au Palais.
In 2009, Finger appeared at the International Çukurova Instrumental Music Festival.
Production work
Finger has produced albums such as ''
Guitar Bazaar'' (
Tim Sparks, 1995), ''
One String Leads to Another
''One String Leads to Another'' is the third solo recording by American guitarist Tim Sparks, released in 1999.
History
The title is taken from a quote by John Renbourn. While speaking of Davey Graham's travels in Morocco "where he came across a ...
'' (Tim Sparks, 1999), and ''
Vicki Genfan Live'' (2003).
Equipment
Finger uses mainly his own-built guitars under his 'Finger' brand, and guitars manufactured by the luthier,
George Lowden
George Lowden is a luthier based in Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland. He constructs steel and nylon string acoustic guitars by hand without any UV finishing as well as solid-body electric guitars.
Early life
George Lowden was born ...
.
Discography
Albums
Compilation albums
See also
*
Fingerstyle guitar
Fingerstyle guitar is the technique of playing the guitar or bass guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails, or picks attached to fingers, as opposed to flatpicking (plucking individual notes with a single plect ...
References
External links
Peter Finger homepageAkustikgitarrist.deAudio sample: Peter Finger plays Getaway
{{DEFAULTSORT:Finger, Peter
1954 births
Living people
Musicians from Weimar
People from Bezirk Erfurt
German classical guitarists
German male guitarists
German rock guitarists
German songwriters
German classical composers
German male classical composers
German film score composers
Male film score composers
German record producers
German music publishers (people)
Music publishing companies of Germany
Fingerstyle guitarists
Acoustic guitarists
Music industry executives
Stockfisch Records artists