Ralph Towner

A renowned master of the classical and 12-string guitar, Ralph Towner has been a key ECM recording artist for over 40 years. Born in Washington in 1940, Towner began his jazz career as a pianist inspired by Bill Evans, then traveled to Vienna to study classical guitar with Karl Scheit, the renowned Austrian guitarist, lutenist, and teacher.

As a player, Towner has shaped different languages for his classical and 12-string guitars. He has described his approach to the guitar as "pianistic: my brain wants to have access to all those notes at once." As a composer, he remains a unique force, combining baroque counterpoint, rhythms and melodies inspired by Brazilian music and the jazz tradition, and a personal approach to harmony and development.