The son of a paniolo at Haleakala Ranch, Peterson was exposed to the sounds of slack key at an early age.
Peterson studied classical guitar at USC's Thornton School of Music before returning to the islands to play and teach in the Honolulu area.
[2] His Concerto for Slack Key Guitar, Mālama ʻĀina, commissioned by the Raleigh Civic Symphony Orchestra and their conductor Peter Askim to celebrate the centennial of the National Park Service,[3] was premiered November 6, 2016, by the Raleigh Civic Chamber Orchestra with Peterson as the soloist.
[4] Its three movements are dedicated to the three volcanoes in Hawaii that are located within the National Park System: Haleakala, Kilauea, and Mauna Loa.
[7] Peterson has shared the stage with many Hawaiian legends at concerts throughout the islands and Japan, and recently did a stint with the Nashville Symphony.