Jazz pianist and composer Richard Beirach, best known as Richie Beirach, was born in New York City, New York on May 23, 1947. Interested in both classical and jazz, he studied with pianist Lennie Tristano while he was still in high school. He then attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, but left after a year and continued his studies at the Manhattan School of Music. He graduated in 1972 with a master’s degree in Music Theory and Composition. He briefly played with Stan Getz before releasing Eon, his solo debut album, in 1975. In the 1970s and 1980s, he began collaborating on numerous occasions with saxophonist Dave Liebman. The duo played on each other’s albums such as Forgotten Fantaisies (1976), Leaving (1976), and Omerta (1978), before forming the quartet Quest in 1981. The jazz supergroup -featured drummers Al Foster and later Bill Hart, and bassists George Mraz and later Ron McClure recorded seven studio albums. During breaks from Quest, Richard Beirach recorded several of his most acclaimed solo works, including Convergence (1991), Snow Leopard (1997), and Romantic Rhapsody (2001), the latter credited to The Richie Beirach Trio. In the 2000s, he recorded a series of classical interpretations in the Round About album series, devoted to the music of Bartók, Mompou, and Monteverdi. Over the course of his career, Richie Beirach recorded more than 50 albums in a variety of formats, including duo, trio, quintet, and solo piano settings. His later solo recordings include Jazz Adagio (2009), Impressions of Tokyo (2011), and Hearts of Darkness (2021). He was also a highly sought-after sideman, appearing on albums by artists such as John Scofield, John Abercrombie, Jeremy Steig, Chet Baker, and many others. On January 26, 2026, Richie Beirach died after a long illness at the age of 78.
