Richard Horowitz, the gifted composer and pianist, left us on a quiet Saturday in Marrakesh, Morocco. It was April 13, a day that now marks the loss of a Golden Globe Award-winning artist known for his collaboration with Ryuichi Sakamoto on the soundtrack for The Sheltering Sky. The sad news was shared in a heartfelt Instagram post by his wife, Sussan Deyhim, penned by their daughter Tamara Melnik.
In a touching tribute, the New York label Rvng Intl., which had the honor of reissuing Horowitz’s album Eros in Arabia, spoke of the “incredible tapestry of music [Horowitz] was a part of.” They added, poignantly, “now you are all around us, reborn in the ultimate dimension.” It’s a sentiment that captures the essence of Horowitz’s impact on music and those who cherished it.
Horowitz’s journey began in Buffalo, New York, back in 1949. A young man with a passion for music, he spent his early adulthood wandering Europe, his life a melody played across various landscapes. The 1970s found him in Paris, diving into the world of electronic music, and in Morocco, where he learned to play the ney, a traditional flute that would define much of his later work.
In 1981, a pivotal year, Horowitz formed two significant partnerships. The first was with Sussan Deyhim, a vocalist, dancer, and composer who would later become his wife. The second was with Jon Hassell, a collaboration that saw Horowitz join Hassell’s touring operation and contribute to records like Power Spot, blending ancient mysticism with modern music technology. That same year, Horowitz released Eros in Arabia under the pseudonym Drahcir Ztiworoh, a debut album that played a crucial role in the development of American minimalism.
The following decade was a whirlwind of creativity and collaboration. Horowitz worked with luminaries such as David Byrne and Brian Eno, and jazz greats like Anthony Braxton. His partnership with Sakamoto for the soundtrack of The Sheltering Sky, set against the backdrop of North Africa, marked a high point in his career. Morocco became more than just a place of residence; in 1998, Horowitz co-founded the Gnawa and World Music Festival in Essaouira, attracting hundreds of thousands of attendees annually. Around this time, he also crafted the score for Oliver Stone’s Any Given Sunday, a work that remains his most celebrated soundtrack.
Beyond his musical achievements, Horowitz was remembered by his family as a man of many facets: “a seeker, a master linguist (most especially fond of a good double entendre), a master pianist and ney player, a humorist, trickster, a loving partner, father, and grandfather, sometimes a critical snob, a traveler and world citizen who believed in our shared humanity.” His loss is felt deeply, “beyond measure or time,” and the wish is for him to continue guiding us in the melody and tone of the universe.
