On the death of Richie Beirach (born May 23, 1947 in New York City; died January 26, 2026 in Worms)

He once played with Chet Baker and Stan Getz. Later, he brought new renown to the jazz metropolis of Leipzig as a professor. Now, the great pianist and composer Richie Beirach has died at the age of 78.

Growing up in New York in the 1950s and 1960s, jazz was practically in his blood. He became acquainted with jazz greats such as Dave Liebman and Jack DeJohnette at an early age. In addition to his work as a sideman, he also appeared regularly as a bandleader and solo musician from 1976 onwards. 

Despite his international prestige, he was completely free of conceit. For him, it wasn't technical perfection that mattered, but expression and character. "Be yourself, motherfucker. Even if you think it sucks. Be yourself," he repeatedly drummed into his students, as his pupils and colleagues Sascha Stiehler, Antonio Lucaciu, and Dominique Ehlert wrote yesterday in a joint obituary.

Since his appointment to the HMT Leipzig in 2000, his combination of passion, approachability, and musical brilliance has made him a musical mentor and teacher to an entire generation of music students. Over the years, this has often led to friendships and musical collaborations.

After retiring as a professor, he moved to the tranquil Palatinate community of Heßheim in 2015. There he lived with his former student Regina Litvinova and drummer Christian Scheuber, who died in 2021, in what he called a "jazz flat share."

Music remained the one constant in his life. As a native city dweller, however, he said that he no longer missed urban life. "Here, I open the door, take two steps, and I'm in nature. I can see the stars. I could never do that in New York."