Peter Betan


Peter Betan is an acoustic fingerstyle guitarist, composer, singer-songwriter, and producer, currently active as an independent performing and recording artist.

Biography

An only son to Cuban immigrants, Peter Betan was born in NYC, Manhattan in 1954.
In 1958 his father pursued a career opportunity with the Hilton Hotels Corporation and with his wife and only son, left Manhattan returning to Havana Cuba acquiring a position at the newly constructed Havana Hilton.
Unaware of Fidel Castro's swift military advance and eventual takeover they narrowly escaped Castro's Cuban revolution and moved to San Juan Puerto Rico in early 1960 where his father obtained a position at the Caribe Hilton.
The family eventually returned to NYC in the summer of 1961 settling in Woodside, Queens.
At age 11 in 1965, Peter Betan started playing on an acoustic guitar his father bought for him. Soon after, he began composing songs and inventing his own chord configurations and chord diagrams.
Influenced by the Beatles and the British Invasion of the 60's, at age 12 he formed and named his first band "The Fabulous 5" Playing cover songs of the day and performing at the P.S. 152 grade school auditorium in Woodside, Queens.
Attracted and influenced by the virtuosic acoustic rhythm guitar strumming style of Richie Havens from the 1966 "Mixed Bag" LP, twenty eight years later Peter Betan would be the opening act for Richie Havens at the Stephen Talkhouse Miami Beach in 1994.
A self taught fingerstyle guitarist, he studied music theory and played the E♭ Tuba in the school band while attending Bryant High School in Long Island City, Queens. Later in 1974 while attending Queensboro Community College in Bayside Queens, he was accepted in the All City orchestra after city wide auditions were held.
While in High School, Peter Betan had the opportunity to audition for the Juilliard School but turned down the regimented orchestral / classical music career to pursue a career in instrumental guitar composition and songwriting.
Singer-songwriter guitarists like John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Leo Kottke, Neil Young, Greg Lake and Ian Anderson were among his major influences at that time.
From 1975 to 1977 he formed a duo act and then later a trio performing strictly original music in small clubs in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, playing electric and acoustic guitars, singing lead and background vocals. In 1977 he had a short stint with an original hard rock band titled "Galax 19" with Juan Santana as the lead songwriter and guitarist Peter Betan played second electric lead and rhythm guitar and was a contributing songwriter. The band recorded a 5-song demo and showcased for a few recording labels.
From 1978 to 1982 he performed in clubs at New York's Greenwich Village with his original 5 piece Fusion based band titled the "Peter Betan Band" later retitled "The Next" being the songwriter, singing lead vocals, playing electric lead guitar, rhythm, and acoustic guitars.
Fusion and jazz guitar players / composers like Jeff Beck, Larry Coryell, Al Dimeola, John McLaughlin, Kenny Burrell and George Benson were among his major influences at that time.
In 1979 he enrolled in a jazz guitar improvisation course thru the New School in NYC being taught by jazz musician and teacher John LaBarbera.
After the breakup of his band in 1982 Peter Betan continued composing, writing songs, recording demos and doing recording session work with local bands and songwriters in the NYC area playing electric lead and rhythm guitar. In 1980 he recorded a demo as a session electric guitarist with renowned flute and saxophone player Dave Valentin for composer Jeremy Beck titled: "A Mad Oppy".
Peter Betan relocated to Miami Florida in late 1985 and resumed performing professionally as an independent original solo artist from 1987 to the present, dedicated to the fingerstyle guitar playing method and becoming an avid songwriter.
He has opened concerts for internationally famous performers including Bob Dylan.

Discography