Jazz pianist.

Born in Montréal QC, Peterson learned to play piano from his sister, a respected teacher in the Afro-American community of Montréal. In the 1940s, Peterson became well known in Montréal.

He studied the techniques of USAmerican pianists Art Tatum, Nat King Cole, and Teddy Wilson. Peterson made his first recordings in 1945, and became better known across Canada when he played on CBC-Radio shows. However, by the end of the 1940s, Peterson had overwhelmed the Canadian jazz scene, so he headed to the USA.

He made his debut at Carnegie Hall, New York City, in 1949, and began playing regularly at the Jazz at the Philharmonic shows. The group for which he is best known is the Peterson Trio, which included himself on piano, Ray Brown on string bass, and Barney Kessel or Herb Ellis on guitar. Later, this was expanded to a quartet, with Ed Thigpen on drums.

Peterson retained Canada as his home, however. He moved from Montréal to Toronto ON in 1958 and later to Mississauga, on the outskirts of Toronto. In the 1970s, Peterson chose to play solo concerts.

By the time he retired in 1999, he had made more than 130 recordings, and had received countless awards. These attest to and acknowledge his extraordinary skill, which has been internationally renowned for more than fifty years.