LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) – Wise Music Group (WMG) is proud to announce the acquisition of a controlling interest in Edition Peters Group (EPG), one of the world’s oldest and most distinguished music publishing houses. WMG has acquired from the Hinrichsen Foundation and will own Edition Peters Group in partnership with Christian Hinrichsen, whose family association with the company began in 1863.
Today EPG has offices in London and New York, and Leipzig, where it was founded in 1800. Today it remains one of the world’s most respected music publishing houses.
In the 19th century, Edition Peters was pre-eminent for its association with classical giants, including Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Schumann and Grieg. In the 20th century, its catalogue spanned Gustav Mahler, Hugo Wolf, Richard Strauss, Morton Feldman, George Crumb, and John Cage.
Today the rich and diverse catalog of contemporary composers includes Mark Andre, Sally Beamish, Daníel Bjarnason, Gloria Coates, James Dillon, Jonathan Dove, Sebastian Fagerlund, Brian Ferneyhough, Bernd Franke, Ash Fure, Bernhard Gander, Emily Howard, Clara Iannotta, George Lewis, Elena Mendoza, Shawn Okpebholo, Roxanna Panufnik, Roger Reynolds, Rebecca Saunders, Tyshawn Sorey, Erkki-Sven Tüür and Errollyn Wallen.
Edition Peters Group will retain its identity within Wise Music Group, alongside Chester Music, G. Schirmer, Associated Music Publishers, Novello & Co, Éditions Alphonse Leduc, Première Music, Le Chant du Monde, Edition Wilhelm Hansen, Unión Musical Ediciones and Bosworth Music GmbH.
Chris Butler, Wise Music Group’s Director of Global Rights Development and new chairman of Edition Peters Group, says: “This acquisition emphasizes Wise Music Group’s commitment to the classical genre and reinforces the group’s long record of investment worldwide. The iconic Peters brand is recognized universally by students, composers and professionals, and its roster of composers over the past 200 years is remarkable. We look forward to building on that unique heritage and legacy”.
Christian Hinrichsen comments: “This is the natural union of two companies with proven track records in the specialist area of contemporary classical music publishing. I look forward to Edition Peters Group having new opportunities to develop its unique catalog as a member of Wise Music Group’s international family of music publishers”.
