Craig Richey
A native of North Carolina,
Craig received his musical training as a classical pianist at the North Carolina School of the Arts, the St. Louis Conservatory of Music and the Juilliard School. After graduating from Juilliard, Craig turned his attention to singing and songwriting, producing, and film composing. His first score, When It’s Over, written and directed by Rich Mancuso, received critical acclaim in the LA Weekly after the film’s premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival.
Hailed by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for his “No-nonsense pianism!” he made his New York debut with pianist Pamela Mia Paul as guest duo-soloist with the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall. He has appeared both in solo and chamber music recitals throughout the United States. His performances have been aired on National Public Radio and Voice of America Radio, which is broadcast worldwide. He taught for ten years at the renowned Third Street Music School Settlement in New York City and directed their esteemed chamber music program. His major teachers include Joseph Kalichstein and Martin Canin.
Mr. Richey’s students have been regular winners of the Bob Cole Conservatory Concerto Competition and have frequently garnered first and second prizes in solo and concerto competitions in California. His students have been accepted into both piano performance and collaborative piano programs at USC, UCLA, the Cincinnati Conservatory, Indiana University, Manhattan School of Music, San Francisco Conservatory and the Peabody Institute. He is also a frequent adjudicator at competitions throughout the Southwest.As a performer, Richey has collaborated with such notable artists as cellist Lynn Harrell, soprano Clamma Dale, clarinetist Daniel McKelway, and violinists Pamela Frank and Elaine Richey. Elaine Richey (1932-1997), Craig’s mother, was winner of the 1959 Walter Naumburg Competition and assistant to Ivan Galamian at the Curtis Institute.
In addition to Richey’s career as pianist and teacher, he is a successful film composer.
Craig is a Sundance Fellow, having been invited to participate in the 2006 Sundance Institute Composer’s Lab. Craig was invited back to the lab as an advisor in summers 2016 and 2017 at Skywalker Sound. Craig has been a frequent panelist at the Sundance Film Festival BMI Film Music Roundtable and has also appeared in BMI Film Music Panels at South by Southwest. His films have premiered at the Sundance, Berlin, Toronto, South by Southwest, Outfest, and Tribeca Film Festivals, among others. Craig has also scored two seasons of the Apple TV+ series ‘Dear…’.
As a songwriter, Craig has three songs featured in Jeremy Leven’s Girl On A Bicycle, and has had songs appear in You Can Choose Your Family, Lovely and Amazing, Friends With Money, The King of Kong, Greenlit, and Answers To Nothing. He and his band present an annual Christmas show, featuring Craig’s original Christmas songs, to benefit children affected by HIV (see Christmas Music tab above). ‘Mother & Child, Songs of Christmas’ and 'The Shortest Day of the Year' are available on iTunes as are several of his soundtracks.
Craig received his musical training as a classical pianist at the North Carolina School of the Arts, the St. Louis Conservatory of Music and the Juilliard School. After graduating from Juilliard, Craig turned his attention to singing and songwriting, producing, and film composing. His first score, When It’s Over, written and directed by Rich Mancuso, received critical acclaim in the LA Weekly after the film’s premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival.
Hailed by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for his “No-nonsense pianism!” he made his New York debut with pianist Pamela Mia Paul as guest duo-soloist with the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall. He has appeared both in solo and chamber music recitals throughout the United States. His performances have been aired on National Public Radio and Voice of America Radio, which is broadcast worldwide. He taught for ten years at the renowned Third Street Music School Settlement in New York City and directed their esteemed chamber music program. His major teachers include Joseph Kalichstein and Martin Canin.
Mr. Richey’s students have been regular winners of the Bob Cole Conservatory Concerto Competition and have frequently garnered first and second prizes in solo and concerto competitions in California. His students have been accepted into both piano performance and collaborative piano programs at USC, UCLA, the Cincinnati Conservatory, Indiana University, Manhattan School of Music, San Francisco Conservatory and the Peabody Institute. He is also a frequent adjudicator at competitions throughout the Southwest.As a performer, Richey has collaborated with such notable artists as cellist Lynn Harrell, soprano Clamma Dale, clarinetist Daniel McKelway, and violinists Pamela Frank and Elaine Richey. Elaine Richey (1932-1997), Craig’s mother, was winner of the 1959 Walter Naumburg Competition and assistant to Ivan Galamian at the Curtis Institute.
In addition to Richey’s career as pianist and teacher, he is a successful film composer.
Craig is a Sundance Fellow, having been invited to participate in the 2006 Sundance Institute Composer’s Lab. Craig was invited back to the lab as an advisor in summers 2016 and 2017 at Skywalker Sound. Craig has been a frequent panelist at the Sundance Film Festival BMI Film Music Roundtable and has also appeared in BMI Film Music Panels at South by Southwest. His films have premiered at the Sundance, Berlin, Toronto, South by Southwest, Outfest, and Tribeca Film Festivals, among others. Craig has also scored two seasons of the Apple TV+ series ‘Dear…’.
As a songwriter, Craig has three songs featured in Jeremy Leven’s Girl On A Bicycle, and has had songs appear in You Can Choose Your Family, Lovely and Amazing, Friends With Money, The King of Kong, Greenlit, and Answers To Nothing. He and his band present an annual Christmas show, featuring Craig’s original Christmas songs, to benefit children affected by HIV (see Christmas Music tab above). ‘Mother & Child, Songs of Christmas’ and 'The Shortest Day of the Year' are available on iTunes as are several of his soundtracks.