Biography

Peter Edwin Krasinski is a conductor, organist, and music educator whose imaginative performances elevate and inform diverse audiences. He is quickly becoming recognized as the world’s most exciting, accomplished and elegant accompanist of silent film. Well respected in both the secular and sacred genres of his field, he has taught the enchantment of music to both public and private institutions in the greater Boston area for over twenty years. The press has hailed his Bach playing as "sublimely spiritual", and his improvisations have been critically acclaimed as "stunning", "seamless", and “brilliant”.

A sought after conducting clinician and recitalist, he was for twelve years the Organist and Music Director at the United Parish in Brookline Massachusetts, the church where E. Power Biggs was organist from 1935 to 1956. He is currently Director of Choral Arts at Beaver Country Day School in Chestnut Hill and Artistic Director of Youth pro Musica, the Greater Boston Youth Chorus. He is organist at First Church of Christ, Scientist in Providence Rhode Island and Beth El Temple Center Synagogue in Belmont Massachusetts.  He holds both a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education and Organ Performance, and the Master of Sacred Music degree from Boston University.

In 2002, he won First Prize in Improvisation in the American Guild of Organists National Competition in Philadelphia and was subsequently named as a judge for the competition and featured improviser for the 2004 AGO national convention in Los Angeles. He has studied composition and improvisation with Naji Hakim at l'Eglise de la Sainte-Trinité, interpretation with Marie Langlais at l'Eglise Sainte-Clotilde, and also played and conducted for services at the American Cathedral in Paris. In 2006 he played a solo recital at Notre Dame in Paris directly after the naming of Parvis Notre Dame-Jean Paul II. He is the first organist to play for silent movies at many famous locations including Saint Joseph’s oratory in Montreal, Canada, Saint Joseph’s cathedral in Hartford Connecticut, Oberlin Conservatory and countless other venues. His appearances as accompanist for silent film are always eagerly awaited events and have included films such as Metropolis (directed by Fritz Lang), Way Down East (starring Lillian Gish), The Gold Rush, (starring Charlie Chaplin), The General (starring Buster Keaton) and Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (starring Rudolph Valentino). His improvised accompaniment for Salome (starring Gloria Swanson) was performed for a convention of the International Organ Builders Society at Hammond Castle in Gloucester Massachusetts where he previously played three consecutive performances of Phantom of the Opera (Lon Chaney)in one evening to standing room only crowds.

During past seasons, this diverse performer has played piano in the Rainbow Room in New York City for the Stella Adler Theater Studio’s Gala on the same program with Bette Midler and Audra MacDonald. He has shared his organ accompaniment, interpretation and improvising skills as soloist and with many choral organizations around the United States. His students from Beaver County Day School have sung with the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall and by special invitation at the Kennedy Library.  Mr. Krasinski has had compositional commissions performed by the Performing Artists at Lincoln School, Brookline and the Seraphim Singers of Boston. His other passions include playing jazz piano and sailing his J 24 off the coast of the Northeast.