Born in northern Minnesota, Peter Baggenstoss grew up studying piano, saxophone, and guitar. Moving to Madison to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he received a Bachelor’s degree in piano performance. In addition to receiving classical and jazz training at the university, he has also studied non-western music traditions from West Africa and Brazil. An active performer in the Madison area, he can be seen with award winning groups playing a diverse range of styles such as funk, jazz, rock, classical, reggae, samba, afrobeat, and others.
As an educator, Peter uses his knowledge of many musical styles to cater to a student’s needs. He has been a member of the Prairie Music & Arts faculty since 2014, teaching piano and jazz. While always stressing a strong foundation in music theory, he aims to give students the skills they need to succeed as a musician. Away from the music studio, he is an avid biker, but enjoys any time spent outdoors, especially camping and hiking.