Primary Wave has announced significant promotions within its creative leadership team, elevating Peter Kurczaba to Vice President of Sync and Cleome Barber to Director, Creative A&R. The promotions recognize the executives’ long-term contributions and leadership within the independent music publisher’s sync and creative divisions, with both continuing to operate from the company’s Los Angeles office.
Kurczaba, who joined Primary Wave nearly a decade ago as an intern, has steadily risen through the ranks to become a key player in the company’s sync licensing operations. His work contributed to the Emmy-winning song “A Beautiful Game” by Ed Sheeran. In his new role, he will continue reporting to Marty Silverstone, Global Sync President, while focusing on sourcing remixes and covers for Primary Wave’s impressive catalog including Sun Records, Sly And The Family Stone, and Isaac Hayes. Silverstone praised Kurczaba’s unique combination of “drive, leadership, and musicality” that has benefited both the company and its artists.
Similarly, Barber has demonstrated remarkable career progression since starting as an intern in 2020. She quickly advanced from A&R coordinator to manager before securing her current director position. Reporting to Justin Shukat, President of Publishing, Barber leads creative A&R efforts, oversees artist releases, and organizes creative camps in Los Angeles. Her contributions have supported releases from notable artists including Benson Boone, Katseye, Hozier, and Doja Cat.
The promotions underscore Primary Wave’s commitment to internal talent development and strategic focus on catalog monetization. The sync team, under Silverstone’s guidance, has secured placements with major brands like Google, Pepsi, and Mercedes, while implementing the company’s “Legends Re-Imagined” approach to revitalizing classic catalogs. Kurczaba’s team has generated seven figures in revenue from sync placements in the past year alone, demonstrating the financial impact of their creative work.
Meanwhile, the creative team nurtures artist relationships and drives new recordings that keep the catalog fresh and commercially viable. Shukat highlighted Barber’s in-depth catalog knowledge and proactive work style as exemplary within the team. Both executives are expected to continue advancing Primary Wave’s cultural pillars of creativity, integrity, and passion while expanding the company’s footprint in sync licensing, artist development, and catalog utilization across multiple media platforms. These executives will likely focus on expanding sync deals for the company’s artists, which represent one of the most profitable avenues for musicians in today’s industry. The team is also tasked with leveraging editorial playlists to maximize streaming exposure for Primary Wave’s roster of artists across major platforms.
