Ben Richter (born 1986) is an American

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

, accordionist, and director of Ghost Ensemble, an experimental chamber ensemble based in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

."Tides of the Wolf" http://imaginedtheatres.com/ben-richter/ Imagined Theatres. August 2019. Web. 18 Jan. 2020.

Biography

Ben Richter was born in the United States in 1986. Specializing in microtonal accordion performance, he composes chamber music that explores subtle gestures, the interactions of gradual processes, modes of awareness, and

Deep Listening Pauline Oliveros (May 30, 1932 – November 24, 2016) was an American composer, accordionist and a central figure in the development of post-war experimental and electronic music. She was a founding member of the San Francisco Tape Music Center ...

.Smoliar, Stephen. 2017. "The Joyous Cacophony of the Ives Band" http://therehearsalstudio.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-joyous-cacophony-of-ives-band.html The Rehearsal Studio. July 7, 2017. Web. 18 Jan. 2020.Wilhoite, Meg. 2018. "We Who Walk Again: CD Review" https://megsnewmusicblog.wordpress.com/2018/09/06/we-who-walk-again-cd-review Meg's New Music Blog. September 6, 2018. Web. 18 Jan. 2020.Olewnick, Brian. 2018. "Ghost Ensemble - We Who Walk Again" https://olewnick.blogspot.com/2018/05/ghost-ensemble-we-who-walk-again.html Just Outside. May 27, 2018. Web. 18 Jan. 2020.Grella, George. 2014. "Ghost Ensemble Embodies the Spirit of Rugged Independence" https://newyorkclassicalreview.com/2014/05/ghost-ensemble-embodies-the-spirit-of-rugged-independence/ New York Classical Review. May 18, 2014. Web. 18 Jan. 2020. He has collaborated with Pauline Oliveros, Phill Niblock,

Carmina Escobar Carmina Escobar (born 1981) is an experimental vocalist, improviser, performance artist, multimedia artist, composer, and educator from Mexico City who lives and works in Los Angeles, California. Jeffrey Fleishman from the ''Los Angeles Times'' has ...

SEM Ensemble S.E.M. Ensemble is an American group dedicated to the performance of contemporary classical music. It was founded in 1970 by the Czech composer Petr Kotik, who serves as its director, and is based in New York City. Kotik seems to have rather ar ...

, Nieuw Ensemble, and The Dresden Dolls, among others. He teaches at CalArts and holds an M.M. in music from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague (2012) and a B.A. from Bard College (2008), where he studied with Kyle Gann, Joan Tower, and

George Tsontakis George Tsontakis (born Astoria, Queens, New York City, October 24, 1951) is an American composer and conductor. Early life and education He was born in New York City, and is of Greek descent. Tsontakis studied composition with Hugo Weisgall and ...

and privately with Pauline Oliveros. In 2012, he founded Ghost Ensemble, which frequently performs his music and that of other living composers.Meline, Gabe. 2018. "Ghost Ensemble and the 'Deep Listening' of Pauline Oliveros" https://www.kqed.org/arts/13831791/ghost-ensemble-and-the-deep-listening-of-pauline-oliveros KQED Arts & Culture. May 9, 2018. Web. 18 Jan. 2020.

Selected compositions

Richter's works include: * ''Healing Ghost/Destroying Angel'' (2013), a 60-minute diptych chamber work for Ghost Ensemble. * ''Farther Reaches'' (2013), a slowly building orchestra work exploring timbral shifts and constant portamento movement.Gottschalk, Kurt. 14 Oct 2013. "Ostrava 2013" https://nmbx.newmusicusa.org/ostrava-2013/ NewMusicBox. 14 Oct 2013. Web. 18 Jan. 2020.Bendova, Aneta and Podracky, Jan. 2 Sep 2013. "Ostravské dny 2013 naposledy" https://operaplus.cz/ostravske-dny-2013-naposledy/ OperaPlus. 2 Sep 2013. Web. 18 Jan. 2020.Avant Music News. 18 May 2017. "AMN Reviews: Ben Richter – Panthalassa: Dream Music of the Once and Future Ocean (2017; Infrequent Seams)" https://avantmusicnews.com/2017/05/18/amn-reviews-ben-richter-panthalassa-dream-music-of-the-once-and-future-ocean-2017-infrequent-seams/ Avant Music News. 18 May 2017. Web. 18 Jan. 2020. * ''Rivulose'' (2015), piano concerto featured at Ostrava Days 2015 and on Czech Radio.Gottschalk, Kurt. 31 Jan 2016. "Kurt Gottschalk at Ostrava Days 2015 EVIEW http://www.classicalite.com/articles/31327/20160131/exclusive-student-teaching-kurt-gottschalk-at-ostrava-days-2015-review.htm Classicalite. 31 Jan 2016. Web. 18 Jan. 2020. * ''Wind People'' (2016), an acoustic chamber work for Ghost Ensemble combining elements of ambient drone, doom metal, and classical music.Carey, Christian. 24 Jun 2017. "Ghost Ensemble: We Who Walk Again (LP Review)" http://www.sequenza21.com/2018/06/ghost-ensemble-we-who-walk-again-lp-review/ Sequenza21. 24 Jun 2017. Web. 18 Jan. 2020. * ''Panthalassa: Dream Music of the Once and Future Ocean'' (2017), a 46-minute immersive work for

just intonation In music, just intonation or pure intonation is the tuning of musical intervals Interval may refer to: Mathematics and physics * Interval (mathematics), a range of numbers ** Partially ordered set#Intervals, its generalization from numbers to ...

accordion. * ''Tides of the Wolf'' (2019), an opera collaboration with novelist

Edie Meidav Edie Meidav (born 1967) is an American novelist. Life She graduated with a B.A., Yale University, and M.F.A., Mills College. Her works include ''Kingdom of the Young'', a collection of fiction with a nonfiction coda; ''Lola, California'', a nov ...

and vocalist

.SCV News. 13 Jun 2019. "CalArts Faculty to Perform in Apophenia Wolf Concert" https://scvnews.com/calarts-faculty-to-perform-in-apophenia-wolf-concert/ SCV News. 13 Jun 2019. Web. 18 Jan. 2020.

Discography

as Ben Richter

*''Panthalassa: Dream Music of the Once and Future Ocean'' - CD (

Infrequent Seams James Ilgenfritz (born 1978) is an American composer, bassist, and multi-instrumentalist.Nastos, Michael. “James Ilgenfritz: Artist Biography” https://www.allmusic.com/artist/james-ilgenfritz-mn0002297215/biography Allmusic. Web. 18 Jan. 202 ...

, June 2017)

with Ghost Ensemble

*''We Who Walk Again'' - LP ( Indexical, May 2018)Margasak, Peter. 21 Dec 2018. "The Best Contemporary Classical Albums of 2018" https://daily.bandcamp.com/best-of-2018/the-best-contemporary-classical-albums-of-2018 Bandcamp Daily. 21 Dec 2018. Web. 18 Jan. 2020. *''Lightbulb Ensemble & Ghost Ensemble Live at Pioneer Works'' ( Indexical, 2015)

with The Dresden Dolls

*''The Dresden Dolls: In Paradise'' - DVD (

Roadrunner Records Roadrunner Records is an American record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock bands. Founded in the Netherlands in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City. History The label was launched in 1980 in t ...

, 2005)

References

External links

Official web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richter, Ben Living people 1986 births American ambient musicians Experimental composers American accordionists American experimental musicians 21st-century American composers 21st-century classical composers American classical composers American classical musicians American male classical composers 21st-century American male musicians Bard College alumni California Institute of the Arts faculty 20th-century American male musicians