Rich is a Composer and Performer of relaxing contemporary Solo Piano with classical influences – elegant, simple, beautiful and very easy to enjoy.
Rich performs as Classically Chilled Piano offering a selection of original contemporary classical solo piano music, with highlights of the wonderful music of Ludovico Einaudi and favourites of light jazz, standards, TV and Film themes and 60's pop.
The 2015 Adelaide Fringe saw Rich perform a sold out show in the delightful setting of the State Dining Room in historic Ayers House. The performance featured Rich’s original compositions, including new work alongside a suite of highlights taken from his debut album ‘Valentine Court’, classics from Debussy and Satie and a suite of favorites from perhaps the world’s most famous pianist composer, Ludovico Einaudi.
Rich is based in Adelaide, South Australia but available to travel interstate and internationally.
Having spent over 30 years in Moseley, the near-legendary bohemian suburb of Birmingham UK, Rich recently moved to Adelaide, beautiful capital of South Australia, the Festival State.
Rich began his musical training in the local Church Choir in Moseley before exploring his love for vocal harmony further with the National Youth Choir and later the CBSO Chorus. Then, in the 1990’s Rich was lead singer and main songwriter with guitar outfits Serene Machine and Maroon and later, performed some of his favourite songs regularly to crowds of thousands in professional ex-chart Beach Boys and Four Seasons band, Gidea Park.
For a while Rich experimented with the written word, getting short stories published in the UK and the US and several of his poems were recently included in this collection of writing by the Triratna Buddhist community in Birmingham.
In 2006, Rich co-founded the experimental creative network Project X Presents and acted as musical director for five of their unique and large scale “omnimedia experiences”. Working alongside Muslim and Christian musicians Rich recently organised a series of concerts under the banner of “Musituality” – in which Musicians of various Faiths (or none) come together and share a platform to perform.
Previously Rich was a freelance booking agent in stand up comedy building on 15 years of experience running and promoting a comedy club, performing as a comic, acting as an artist agent for some seriously good acts and helping set up the Birmingham Comedy Festival.
The pursuit of a Buddhist spiritual practice is increasingly informing Rich’s music and lyric writing and he is currently training for Ordination into the Triratna Buddhist Order. To this end he meditates daily, practices ashtanga yoga, studies and frequently disappears off to retreat centres in remote parts of the world, to immerse himself in practice.
Rich’s meditative piano music is an enchanting blend of Satie and Vaughan Williams mixed thru the lens of Philip Glass minimalism and woven into organic, yet purposeful structures inspired by break beat, post rock and downtempo electronica. In 2009 Rich released his album of piano music “Valentine Court” through his own label, Mouflon Music “a reflective, intelligent record” Music Week.