Peter O’Mara began his professional career in Sydney in 1976. He had private lessons with George Golla at the Academy of Guitar as well as jazz clinics with musicians like Dave Liebman, Randy Brecker, John Scofield and Hal Galper. He was awarded the prestigious “Don Banks Memorial Fellowship” for overseas study in 1981. Peter spent three months in New York in summer 1981 going to concerts, jam sessions and having lessons from musicians like Attila Zoller, who was so excited about Peter’s musicality that he recommended him for a position teaching jazz guitar at the University of Memphis, Tennessee.

He was a prizewinner for Jazz Composition 1980 & 1982, awarded by the NSW Jazz Action Society.