Independent music company Wise Music Group has acquired a controlling interest in Edition Peters Group, which is claimed to be “one of the world’s oldest” music publishing houses.
Wise Music Group has made its acquisition 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, Edition Peters Group has offices in London and New York as well as Leipzig, the city where it was founded in 1800.
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 company’s catalog of contemporary composers includes Mark Andre, Sally Beamish, Daníel Bjarnason, Gloria Coates, James Dillon, Jonathan Dove, Sebastian Fagerlund, and Brian Ferneyhough.
It also includes 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.
Wise says that Edition Peters Group will “retain its individual identity” within the 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.
Elsewhere at Wise Music Group, in February the company appointed Marcus Wise as Chief Executive Officer for the European region.
Also in February, Liechtenstein-headquartered music rights organization, SESAC Digital Licensing, and Wise Music Australia (part of the Wise Music Group) partnered via an exclusive digital licensing deal for the Wise Music catalog in Asia (excluding Japan, South Korea and China).
Wise Music, formerly The Music Sales Group, launched a unit in Iceland in November 2022.
“This acquisition emphasises Wise Music Group’s commitment to the classical genre and reinforces the group’s long record of investment worldwide.”
Chris Butler, Wise Music Group
Chris Butler, Wise Music Group’s Director of Global Rights Development, and new chairman of Edition Peters Group, said: “This acquisition emphasises Wise Music Group’s commitment to the classical genre and reinforces the group’s long record of investment worldwide.
“The iconic Peters brand is recognised 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”.
“We are delighted to have reached agreement with Wise Music Group and with Christian Hinrichsen.”
Tim Berg, Hinrichsen Foundation
Hinrichsen Foundation Chairman Tim Berg, added: “We are delighted to have reached agreement with Wise Music Group and with Christian Hinrichsen.
“We believe Edition Peters will be at home alongside many iconic names from music publishing history, working closely with a team that is passionate about the classical music.
“For the Foundation this creates an opportunity confidently to support contemporary music performance within the UK, particularly at this time of significant change”.
“This is the natural union of two companies with proven track records in the specialist area of contemporary classical music publishing.”
Christian Hinrichsen
Christian Hinrichsen said: “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 catalogue as a member of Wise Music Group’s international family of music publishers”.
Music Business Worldwide
