Born Feb. 10, 1949
Worcester, Massachusetts
Died Oct. 4, 2025
Brattleboro, Vermont
Peter Robertson Amidon
Husband, father, grandfather, beloved friend, and multi-talented musician, Peter Amidon died at home on October 4, 2025, surrounded by close family. Peter was beloved in the Brattleboro community, to which he offered and gave so much. He led “Choirs of the Community” for many events, was one of the musical leaders of the Guilford Community Church, cofounded the Brattleboro Christmas Street Band, co-led the hospice singing group Hallowell, and most recently gathered the ensemble West Willow to sing his many choral arrangements and compositions.
Peter Amidon was internationally known as a choral arranger, community dancing leader, folk singer and storyteller, and as leader in the field of music education, teaching, recording and performing in close partnership with his wife, Mary Alice Amidon. Through their artist in residence workshops in schools and New England Dancing Master’s instructional books and CDs, thousands of teachers and children throughout the United States and beyond have been enriched by traditional dance and song in the classroom. His choral arrangements are being sung by hundreds of choirs throughout the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Peter was born in Worcester, Mass in 1949, and raised in the Berkshires in Monterey, Mass by his parents Dean and Fran (Robertson) Amidon. He initially attended the one-room schoolhouse there; Dean was a singing leader at the local community campfires and gatherings. Peter attended Miami of Ohio University, majoring in music composition. His life was changed when he discovered folk music while living in Cambridge, Massachusetts – contra dancing, shape note singing, ballad singing and fiddle tunes.
Peter met Mary Alice Copeland at a contradance in 1975, and after touring with Bread and Puppet Theatre throughout Europe, they were married in 1978, and settled in Brattleboro, Vermont. Their son Sam was born in 1981 and Stefan in 1984. As a family, The Amidons performed at folk festivals and in concerts across the United States and in the UK. Peter and Mary Alice were music teachers at Academy School in West Brattleboro, where they started the tradition of All School Sing, before moving on to their freelance work and releasing many beloved albums of folksongs for children and adults alike. Peter and Mary Alice, alongside their New England Dancing Masters colleagues Andy Davis and Mary Cay Brass, received the Country Dance and Song Society’s Lifetime Contribution award in 2023.
Peter is survived by his devoted wife Mary Alice; sons Sam (wife Beth Orton) and Stefan (wife Zara Bode); grandchildren Nancy, Arthur, Desmond, and Vera; brothers Dean (Skippy), Phillip, and Jay and their families, in-laws Annie and Susan Copeland and their families.
