Boston Conservatory Orchestra Helps Peter and Leonardo Dugan Complete Their “Dream Piece”

Pianist and composer Peter Dugan is fluent in both classical and jazz music, and he moves easily between the two traditions. But over the course of his ascendant career as a performing artist, he rarely got the chance to blend them in a way that felt creatively satisfying. So, he decided to create his own vehicle, a concerto that grounds itself in classical structure and counterpoint, yet holds space for improvised jazz solos. And for this, he sought the help of a fellow composer who understood his musical vision better than anyone: his older brother, Leonardo.

“We hear music the same way, and we grew up together as musicians. So much of the way I think about music, I learned from him,” Peter says.

Together, they composed “Brothers Concerto,” a four-movement work that melds genres and gives Peter his longed-for repertoire. What’s more, it blends two compositional voices and turns their shared memories into musical vignettes, each movement recalling some family lore about a big brother and his grateful companion, happy for the chance to tag along.

Boston Conservatory Orchestra members got the opportunity to workshop a draft of the Dugans’ score in October 2025 (a process that was recorded for a short documentary elaborating on the personal stories behind each movement of “Brothers Concerto”). Student musicians worked directly with Peter and Leonardo as they fine-tuned the score, making small edits and changes on the fly, to help the composers achieve the sound they’d envisioned.

Take a behind-the-scenes look at “Brothers Concerto.”

“This type of work is something that our students have become particularly good at doing, given the strength and close integration with our composition program,” says Matthew M. Marsit, chair of instrumental studies, who conducted the orchestra throughout the revision process. “We are frequently working in collaboration to workshop new scores written by our students, and helping to provide comments to improve those scores.”

Boston Conservatory Orchestra had the honor of bringing the Dugans’ concerto to life for the very first time with Peter as soloist—an experience that moved him deeply. “I always knew that the dream piece would be for us to come together and combine the way that I approach the keyboard with his approach to constructing a piece of music,” he says. “The first time I got to play this piece with an orchestra, and to have that tune that I know came from his mind originally, and to hear that and be part of that … There’s been some tears.” 

On February 22, Peter will perform “Brothers Concerto” with the Boston Conservatory Orchestra, giving the work its collegiate premiere at Boston’s Symphony Hall. Collaborating with student musicians is a logical fit for Peter, who, as host of NPR’s weekly program From the Top, has long been a champion for young classical artists, showcasing their performances on the air, and sharing interviews about the joys and struggles of their musical education.