Anthony Ritchie

Anthony Ritchie (born 1960) is one of New Zealand's most prolific composers. His works number over a hundred, and include three symphonies, two operas, seven concertos, choral works, chamber music and solo works. Ritchie is the son of John Ritchie, a professor teaching composition and orchestration. Anthony Ritchie completed a Ph.D. on the music of Béla Bartók in 1987, studying at the Bartók Archives in Budapest. He studied composition with Attila Bozay at the Liszt Academy, and completed his Mus.B (honors) at the University of Canterbury. Upon returning to New Zealand, in succession he took on the posts of Composer-in-Schools in Christchurch, Mozart Fellow at the University of Otago and Composer-in-Residence at the Dunedin Sinfonia, where he wrote his Symphony No. 1. He has worked as a freelance composer since 1994, and has written for a wide variety of performers including the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Auckland Philharmonia, Michael Houstoun and Wilma Smith. As well as having composed a large variety of vocal and instrumental works he has also written music for theatre and dance. Many of his works have been performed overseas, and a growing number are being recorded and published commercially.