Richard Altenbach composes for film, video games and the concert stage. Some of Richard's live concert premiers include "Poetic Reflections" (violin, cello & piano), "Winter for Ivan" (cello, piano & orchestra), "Scarecrow" (violin & piano), "Bidwell's Path" (orchestra), "The One Armed Man" (harpsichord), "Phantasy on 3 Ancient Christmas Carols" (violin alone), "Out of the Carpathian Mists" 7 - Romanian Folk Tunes (violin, viola & cello), arrangements of several Bach works (string duos and quartets), and “If" - on the poem by Kipling (piano, oboe / English horn, French horn, violin, cello & narrator). "The Jester's Waltz" for solo piano won a prize in the international Opus Dissonus Composition Competition, and has also recently won 2nd Prize in the XVII International Golden Key Piano Composition Competition; Richard traveled to Vienna in July, 2024 to receive his Diploma and Winner’s Medal and hear his piece performed by concert pianist Anna Leyerer at the “World Composers’ Recital”. Over the last decade, he has received 6 semi-finalist award certificates for instrumental music in the UK Songwriting Contest, including 2024 for "Stefan’s Song" (cello & orchestra) and also placed as finalist for "Bidwell's Path” and “Warrior’s Hymn” (orchestral).

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Recent international awards for his Piano Trio, "Poetic Reflections”, include Grand Prize from the WCMA 2025 Composition Competition, Absolute 1st Prize 2025 Golden Prestige Int’l Competition, Gold Award 2025 Mozart Int’l Competition, and Diamond Prize World Grand Prix Competition.

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His commercial music credits include "the Dark" (horror feature film), "Stealing Time" (South African dramatic feature film), several documentaries, webseries, short films and video games. Richard was also chosen among 12 composers worldwide to participate in the prestigious ASCAP Film Composers Workshop, composing, arranging, conducting and recording with the Hollywood Studio Orchestra at 20th C. Fox. His film music has been featured at SUNDANCE ("Biting Personalities”- award-winning short), and he has composed string arrangements for pop star Natasha Bedingfield.

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Regarding musical education and training, Richard has a Bachelor of Music Degree from Whittier College (CA, USA); there he studied theory, composition, counterpoint and form analysis under musicologist/composer/organist Dr. Orpha Ochse. He continued his musical studies at the University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign, receiving his Master of Music Degree under the tutelage of renowned violinist, master violin pedagogue and Bach expert, Sergiu Luca. He received his Certificate in the UCLA Extension Film Scoring Program He is now Senior Instructor of Violin at the Music Conservatory of Coeur d’Alene, ID and in 2026 has been appointed Adjunct Professor of Violin and Viola at North Idaho College.

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As an A-list Hollywood recording musician, Richard has been involved in over 1000 film scores (including the Jurassic Park/World series) working with John Williams, Hans Zimmer, and Danny Elfman (Principal 2nd), and has participated in hundreds of albums for artists such as Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Yo-Yo Ma, Aerosmith, Mannheim Steamroller and Childish Gambino.

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Formerly Concertmaster of the Auburn Symphony (CA) and InConcert Sierra, Richard is also an active chamber musician. Other symphonic experience includes serving as 1st Violinist with Houston Symphony, LA Chamber Orchestra, Joffrey Ballet, LA Opera and Hollywood Bowl Orchestras, and now often plays as 1st Violin for the Spokane Symphony.