Music - education - production
Peter Douskalis is a musician, educator, and orchestrator whose work spans Broadway, world music, academic scholarship, and intercultural collaboration. With a career rooted in performance, composition, and linguistic research, he seamlessly bridges tradition and innovation across artistic disciplines.
On Broadway, Peter was the chair holder for Water For Elephants and co-music coordinator for the concert reading of When Two of Us Meet, a new Armenian-American musical. He is an active substitute musician on the Broadway productions The Lion King and Hamilton, and on the off-Broadway production Little Shop of Horrors.
Other Broadway credits include: Almost Famous, Mrs. Doubtfire, Caroline, or Change, Mean Girls, School of Rock, Dear Evan Hansen, and The Great Gatsby. Off-Broadway credits include Joy, Desperate Measures, Badass Beauty: A Rock Opera!, The Office Parody Musical, and SUFFS.
He has also performed with the Broadway Inspirational Voices, Josh Groban, and twice with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. He can be heard on the Original Broadway Cast Album “Water For Elephants” and he is a participating musician on the Grammy nominated ‘Caroline, or Change’ New Broadway cast album (2022).
As the co-founder of Sounds of Cyprus, he leads an internationally recognized ensemble dedicated to preserving and promoting the musical heritage of Cyprus. The group has been supported by the New York State Council on the Arts, Queens Arts Fund, New York Foundation for the Arts, the Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Culture Decentralization Program, and the Consulate General of the Republic of Cyprus, with its work archived by the New York Public Library.
He has four publications in academic journals on multicultural and intercultural education, heritage language learning, and the intersection of music and linguistics, and his sheet music arrangements/orchestrations have been published in the Hal Leonard Essential Elements for Guitar Ensembles series. He has also presented two TEDx talks, where he has also been a translator.
In the realm of production, Peter has organized TEDx Youth events as well as the events by PANEL and Sounds of Cyprus.
Proud Endorser of Guild Guitars, Cordoba Guitars, GHS Strings, Rocktron, Acoustic Image Amplifiers and Steve Clayton Picks.
"The talented musicians delighted the audience with their skillful playing while Douskalis' comments provided insights into the charming and movingly beautiful works of world music."
- Eleni Sakellis - The National Herald
“He has chops to spare and at times his ES175 sounds like more than one player…superb straight ahead jazz playing”
– Ed Benson – Just Jazz Guitar Magazine
“He follows in the footsteps of Joe Pass and other masters of the solo jazz guitar…he develops momentum in single-string lines but he is most accomplished in bass-line and chord-melody work”
– Clive Cooper – Jazz Journal (UK)
“While he is a melodic player, Douskalis sometimes emulates an orchestra and pulls it off. Melody,
harmony, bass lines all interact logically, sometimes making it sound as if more than one guitarist is on the CD.”
– Scott Yanow – Los Angeles Jazz Scene
“displays an easy flowing sense of melody...surges live a wave...”
– Jerome Wilson - Cadence Magazine
“Noteworthy technique, a creative approach, assured touch and glorious tone.”
– Brad Walseth – JazzChicago.net
“Douskalis is clearly a gifted musician, and his fleet-fingered attack often manages to make his Gibson ES-175 sound like several instruments.”
– Tony Rogers – JazzCDReviews.com
“Mesmerizing…an extremely talented artist…”
– June Middleton – Minding Your Business (NYC TV show)
“It's refreshing to hear a soloist in touch with his instrument and the sounds that come out of it…what is perhaps most impressive is Douskalis' touch and ability to emote a melody line.”
– Wildy Haskell - Wildy's World
"Somehow Peter’s guitar reaches out and touches your soul. The music caresses you like a lover’s hand, and your troubles just seem to melt away...One listen and you’ll be entranced.”
– Andrea Guy - Mossip
“lighting up the Jazz industry with his amazing Jazz guitar performances that are sure to delight music fans.”
– Isaac Davis Jr. - Junior's Cave - Online Magazine