Max Richter (b. 1966) is a German-born British composer, pianist, and producer whose work bridges classical tradition with ambient, minimalist, and post-rock sensibilities. A key figure in the 21st-century neo-classical movement, Richter’s music blends orchestral writing with electronics, often invoking introspection, memory, and emotional depth.
He was born in Hamelin, Germany, and raised in Bedford, England. Richter studied composition and piano at the University of Edinburgh and the Royal Academy of Music, later apprenticing with avant-garde composer Luciano Berio in Italy. He later co-founded the contemporary classical ensemble Piano Circus, performing works by Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and Arvo Pärt.
Albums
Memoryhouse (2002), his debut, blending orchestra and archival samples; a meditation on postwar Europe; The Blue Notebooks (2004), inspired by Kafka’s Blue Octavo Notebooks and Virginia Woolf’s writings; features Tilda Swinton’s narration; Songs from Before (2006), minimalist, nostalgic; readings by Robert Wyatt; Infra (2010), based on his Royal Ballet score, pairing strings with electronic pulses; Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons (2012), a reimagining of Vivaldi’s classic using looping and phasing; Sleep (2015), an 8.5-hour ambient composition intended to accompany a full night’s rest; Voices (2020) inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, blending orchestra, choir, and global voices.
Richter is one of the most sought-after composers for screen music, known for his emotionally immersive scores; Waltz with Bashir (2008); Shutter Island (2010); Arrival (2016); Ad Astra (2019); The Leftovers (HBO, 2014–2017), My Brilliant Friend (HBO, 2018–2022), and Taboo (BBC/FX, 2017, with Hans Zimmer).
Richter’s influence extends beyond contemporary classical audiences into electronic, pop, and film spheres. He redefined how classical music can function in modern life, meditative, conceptual, and deeply personal yet widely accessible. His Sleep project in particular has been performed in overnight concerts where audiences rest on beds instead of seats, transforming concert experience itself.