Peter S. Shin is a composer based in Los Angeles, California. Described by the New York Times as “a composer to watch” with music that is “entirely fresh and personal,” Shin is drawn to understanding how his music folds into the broader conversations around human connection, representation, and belonging in the United States.
In its citation for the Charles Ives Fellowship, the American Academy of Arts and Letters observed that Shin “has already established an individual voice,” singling out Hyo, a work in which he reflects on his family’s immigration story from South Korea, exploring themes of genealogy and life’s impermanence against the backdrop of anti-Asian sentiment during the COVID-19 outbreak. Commissioned by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Academy praised the work for “a sophisticated wide range of beautiful orchestral sounds that unfold within a strong narrative,” calling it “honest, clear, heartfelt, original music.”
Shin’s additional honors include a Fulbright Research Grant, Harvard Fromm Music Foundation commission, MacDowell Fellowship, and the Princeton Hodder Fellowship. Shin received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, with further studies at the University of Michigan, University of Southern California, and the Yale School of Music.
Currently, Shin is working on expanding his “Hallyu Interventions” series which contends with the globalization of South Korean media via the sounds of K-Pop, and also his second work for the vocal band Roomful of Teeth. His first work, Bits torn from words, was recorded on Roomful of Teeth’s Grammy Award-winning album, Rough Magic.