Alan Rich

Alan Rich
Born(1924-06-17)June 17, 1924
Boston, Massachusetts
Died
West Los Angeles, California
EducationHarvard University
OccupationsMusic critic, author
Notable workMusic: Mirror of the Arts (1969)
So I've Heard: Notes of a Migratory Music Critic (2006)
Play by Play series

Alan Rich (June 17, 1924 – April 23, 2010) was an American music critic who served on the staff of many newspapers and magazines on both coasts. Originally from Brookline, Massachusetts, he first studied medicine at Harvard University before turning to music. While a student at Harvard he began his career as critic, working as assistant music critic at the Boston Herald.

He was music director of KPFA, the Berkeley radio station, and successively a music critic for publications including The New York Times, the New York Herald Tribune, New York magazine, Newsweek, California magazine, the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, Opera News, and from 1992 to 2008 LA Weekly magazine. He subsequently worked briefly as music critic for Bloomberg News.

Rich also wrote a number of books including Music, Mirror of the Arts (1969) and So I've Heard: Notes of a Migratory Music Critic, published in 2006.

In 1990, Rich authored an innovative CD-ROM exploring Schubert's "Trout Quintet". Published by The Voyager Company, and produced by composer David Javelosa.

Early life

Rich was born on June 17, 1924, in Boston, Massachusetts. He earned a master's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1952. He initially studied pre-med at Harvard University, graduating in 1945. He shifted his focus to music after encountering Donald Tovey's ''Essays in Musical Analysis'', which inspired him with its lively, imaginative approach to describing music.

Personal life

He dies of natural causes in his sleep on April 23, 2010 West Los Angeles.

Bibliography

See also

References

  1. ↑ Staff and wire reports. "Two music writers with an Ojai connection die". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
  2. ↑ F. Paul Driscoll (July 2010). "Obituaries: critic Alan Rich". Opera News. 75 (1).
  3. ↑ Alan Rich. "Alan Rich's last column for LA Weekly". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on 2008-06-04. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
  4. 1 2 3 Thursby, Keith; Times, Los Angeles (2010-04-26). "Alan Rich dies at 85; classical music critic and champion". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2026-04-26.

Further reading