Max Richter (composer)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Max Richter
Born 1966, Germany
Years active 1990s - present
Label(s) Fat Cat Records
Website maxrichter.com

Max Richter (b. 1966) is a German-born composer, now living in the United Kingdom.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Richter trained in composition and piano at University of Edinburgh, the Royal Academy of Music, and with Luciano Berio in Florence. The info available on his own website[citation needed] states that "his early music was basically hard-core Modernism: much influenced by Xenakis".

After finishing his studies, Richter co-founded the contemporary classical ensemble Piano Circus, where he stayed for ten years, commissioning and performing works by Arvo Pärt, Brian Eno, Philip Glass, Julia Wolfe and Steve Reich. The ensemble was signed to Decca/Argo, producing five CDs.

In 1996 he worked with Future Sound of London on their album Dead Cities, initially starting as a pianist but ending up working on several tracks as well as co-writing one track (titled Max). Richter subsequently collaborated with FSOL over a period of two years, also contributing to the album The Isness. He has also collaborated with Mercury Prize winner Roni Size, with the album In The Mode.

Richter has released three solo albums; Memoryhouse (2002), The Blue Notebooks (2004), and his newest release, Songs From Before (2006).

In 2005, Richter produced the Vashti Bunyan album Lookaftering.

In 2006, Richter' music was heavily used in the movie, Stranger than Fiction; a movie starring Will Ferrell. His tracks "On the Nature of Daylight" and "Horizon Variations" were used.

In 2007 Richter worked on Waltz with Bashir an animated documentary by Ari Folman. His first U.S. performance was on November 28th at the Good-Shepherd Faith Church, New York, as part of the Wordless Music Series. Richter is also working on a soon to be released project called '24 Postcards In Full Colour.' It's reportedly an experimental collection of miniatures for mobile phones. The pieces are a series of variations on the basic material, scored for strings, piano and electronics.

In 2008 Richter will release his fourth solo album 24 postcards in full colour which will be available on limited edition vinyl, and as a download only release. The album is set for release in June. August will see a re-release of Richter's first solo album Memoryhouse. [1]

[edit] Solo Discography

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ FatCat Records : News