Brad Richter

Bradley Nathan Richter (born August 9, 1969 in Enid, Oklahoma, USA) is a Classical guitarist. He currently resides in Tucson, Arizona with his wife Kerstin and their two sons.

Education and Background

Brad began teaching himself to play guitar and compose at age 12. At 18, having had no formal musical training, he was awarded the Presidential Scholarship to the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago where he began performing, composing, and eventually teaching professionally. After completing his undergraduate degrees in performance and composition, Brad accepted a scholarship to the Royal College of Music in London where he studied with guitarist Carlos Bonell. He became the first guitarist in the college’s history to win the coveted Thomas Morherr Prize, and went on to win the Royal College of Music guitar competition before completing his Master's degree and returning to the US to continue his concert career.

Career Highlights

Throughout North America and Europe, Brad has performed as a soloist, with renowned chamber ensembles and in duos with artists such as Grammy winning cellist, David Finckel of the Emerson String Quartet. His performances and compositions are frequently heard on NPR and PBS stations around the United States and he has also written and performed the score for the Emmy award winning PBS television series, The Desert Speaks.

Festival appearances have included the Guitar Festival of Great Britain, The London International Guitar Festival (with Carlos Bonell, Alirio Diaz and John Williams), The Aspen Music Festival and the Walnut Valley Festival, where he won the National Finger-picking Championship, a competition that features some of the world's finest guitarists from all genres. Additionally, Brad won first place in the 2004 International Composer’s Guild Competition.

While at home in Tucson, Arizona, Brad teaches music at the University of Arizona. He enjoys hiking, running, biking and playing his guitar in the mountains and deserts that surround Tucson. The rugged beauty of the American southwest continues to be a source of inspiration for much his music.

Residency and Outreach

Engaging children with music and stories, performing in hospitals, prisons, and homeless shelters…when I play for people who do not or can not access the arts on their own, I witness the power that music has to change lives. It is a universal language, a tie that binds us to one another across age, culture and economy and reconnects us with our most profound emotions. -Brad Richter

His professionalism and sincere commitment to the communities in which he works has helped make Brad one of the most sought after residency artists in the country. One such residency, his long-term outreach program teaching guitar to at-risk youth on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona, is the subject of a PBS documentary to be aired in 2007. In 2001 he was asked to develop the residency and outreach portion of the University of Arizona’s CAMERATA class, where he continues to enjoy working with graduate students to help them design their own residency programs.

Published Books and Recordings

Year	Title	Type	Publisher/Record Company
1994	Dance of the Harvest Fires	CD	Harmon E Records
1996	Fractal Reflections	Sheet Music, Solo Guitar	Guitar Solo Publications
1996	The Harvest	Sheet Music, Solo Guitar	Guitar Solo Publications
1996	Eight Preludes	Sheet Music, Solo Guitar	Guitar Solo Publications
1997	Fractal Reflections	CD	Harmon E Records
1998	Four Native Tales	Sheet Music, Solo Guitar	Guitar Solo Publications
2000	When the Caged Bird Sings	Sheet Music, Flute/Guitar	Lathkill Music Publishers, England
2001	Frost Songs	Sheet Music, Sop./Guitar	Lathkill Music Publishers, England
2003	A Whisper in the Desert	CD	Acoustic Music Records, Germany
2004	Master Fingerstyle Guitar Anthology	Book/CD set	Mel Bay Publications Inc.
2004	Nouveau Classic Guitar	Anthology Book/CD set co-authors include: Sergio Assad, Andrew York	Mel Bay Publications Inc.
2005	The Brad Richter Solo Collection	Book/CD set	Mel Bay Publications Inc.

Publications Pending

Year	Working Title	Type	Publisher/Record Company
2007	Arranging for Guitar	Instruction Book/CD	Mel Bay
2007	Brad Richter with David Finckel	CD	tba
2007	Song of the Wild, A Musical Journey through the Animal Kingdom 32 Imaginative Etudes for Young Guitarists	Book/CD set?	Acoustic Music Books/Mel Bay
2007	Navigating Lake Bonneville	Book with CD	Weber State University Press