Peter Conover joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as librarian in 1998 and was named Principal Librarian a year later.
A native of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Conover studied double bass with Henry G. Scott of the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Philadelphia College of Performing Arts, graduating in 1984 with both Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Music Education degrees. During this time, he worked as a freelance bassist in the Philadelphia area.
In 1982, Conover became librarian for a local orchestra, the Delaware Valley Philharmonic and had the opportunity to meet Clinton Nieweg, the Principal Librarian of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Conover began working in the Philadelphia Orchestra Library in 1984, first on an apprentice basis and later as a part-time assistant. During the summers of 1984 through 1987, he played bass in and served as librarian for the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) Orchestra in Graz, Austria. Through the 1990s, Conover served as librarian for the Phoenix Symphony, Santa Fe Opera, Houston Symphony and Grand Teton Music Festival in Wyoming.
As an orchestral librarian, Conover has been involved with the Major Orchestra Librarians’ Association (MOLA), having served on the Publications Committee and as the editor of Marcato, MOLA’s quarterly newsletter. The membership of MOLA has actively worked to improve the quality of printed orchestra music in many ways, such as through the use of shared errata lists, direct communication with music publishers and exploration of new technologies.
