Speaker
Details
Pete Muller ’85
Recording Artist, Singer-Songwriter; Founder & CEO, PDT Partners
The performance will be followed by a conversation between Pete Muller and Rudresh Mahanthappa, Director of Jazz.
The event is free and open to the public.
Co-sponsored by the Bendheim Center for Finance, the Department of Operations Research and Financial Engineering, the Department of Music, and the Lewis Center for the Arts.
About the Speaker
Pete Muller is an American singer-songwriter whose passion for math and music forged a rather unconventional path. His sound can be described as Americana with a rock and soul vibe, and his single, "Let You In," is getting national airplay.
Born to hard-working immigrant parents, Muller learned to play the piano as a teenager and studied math at Princeton. After graduating, Muller spent time composing music for a rhythmic gymnastics team in Northern California before realizing that his talent for numbers could be useful in figuring out capital markets. He became a pioneering quant trader (well before it was cool to be a nerd), and achieved considerable success in the financial world before famously taking a break to reconnect with music.
Muller briefly attended the graduate musical theater program at Tisch/NYU and, while he found that musical theater wasn't for him, he reveled in the feedback and critiques from the other students. Intent on creating a similar environment, Muller started a songwriting circle, gathering like-minded artists at his apartment every week to share their newest work.
As Muller continues to guide the widely admired, mathematically driven investment fund, Process Driven Trading (PDT), he remains committed to creating time for his music.
In May 2019, Muller released his fourth studio album, Dissolve, produced by the legendary Rob Mathes. The music has been hailed as "poignant" by People magazine and was recently featured in American Songwriter. Muller himself has been described by acclaimed producer and musician, Quincy Jones, as "one of a kind with a brilliant mind (and with) the heart and soul to match!" Muller also pushes himself as a live performer – from playing on the New York City subway platforms to stages all around the world.
Muller has long been a champion of music education and the arts. In 2017, Muller spearheaded the Berklee School of Music's acquisition of New York City's Power Station recording studio, saving the iconic space from being shuttered. In partnership with the city, Muller is helping transform the beleaguered studio into a world-class facility that Berklee will use as its first New York outpost for students.
Beyond his ambitious financial and musical careers, Muller still finds time to pursue other passions. He is an avid surfer, dedicated yogi, and prolific crossword puzzle constructor - you can find his challenging, music-themed, "meta-puzzles" monthly in the Washington Post.
"It's always about energy and figuring out what your deepest truth is," says Muller of his various endeavors. "If you are excited and passionate about whatever you're doing, just keep doing that."
For more information, visit www.petemuller.com.
- Bendheim Center for Finance
- Department of Operations Research and Financial Engineering
- Department of Music
- Lewis Center for the Arts