Markus Reuter (born Lippstadt, Germany, 1972[1]) is a German multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer and instrument designer.
Over the course of a two-decade career, he has been a member of multiple bands, ensembles and projects (including centrozoon, Stick Men, Tuner, The Crimson ProjeKct and Europa String Choir) as well as a solo artist.
Since 2011 Reuter has begun to establish himself as a contemporary classical composer, starting with the performance and recording of his large-scale orchestral piece Todmorden 513.
Most of Reuter's performance work to date has evolved from exploring electric touch-style instruments and sound processing.
During his teens, Reuter studied music history, theory, and analysis with Karlheinz Straetmanns, a composer in the lineage of Harald Genzmer and Paul Hindemith.
Tutored by Tony Geballe (and by Fripp himself), he continued to study Guitar Craft until 1998, combining intensive music courses with explorations of the philosophy of George Gurdjieff and J.G.
Learning to play both the 10-string and 12-string models of the instrument required a disciplined approach to study and practice, which Reuter adopted and turned to his advantage.
[1][5][3] In 1996 (while still part-way through his degree course and his Guitar Craft studies) Reuter performed his first complete concert of entirely self-written compositions, and embarked on a career as a professional musician.
In 2013, the work was expanded to a full orchestral arrangement in collaboration with American conductor and composer Thomas A. Blomster.
In 2010 Reuter joined Mastelotto and Tony Levin in the Stick Men trio (replacing Michael Bernier), with whom he has released eleven studio and live albums plus an EP.
Since 2015, Reuter has been an associate member of Dutch Rall's synthpop studio project Nocturne Blue, providing touch guitar solos and textures.
Reuter has recorded seven albums as an electrophonic duo with British synthesizer player/soundscaper Ian Boddy (plus one with both Boddy and turntablist Nigel Mullaney), three with American experimental guitarist Tim Motzer, two with American ambient electronic composer Robert Rich and two with Zero Ohms (wind/wind-synth instrumentalist Richard Roberts).
These include 0000 (with bass clarinettist Stefan “Sha” Haslebacher); Star’s End (with Motzer); and How Things Turned Out (with pianist Angelica Sanchez and fellow Guitar Craft alumnus Tony Geballe).
Reuter was also a member of international art pop band This Fragile Moment - fronted by Toyah Willcox and incorporating Estonian duo Fragile (Arvo Urb and Robert Jürjendal) plus Toyah bassist Chris Wong - who recorded a single eponymous album in 2010.
In 2021, Reuter created another new group, Anchor and Burden (named after his 2021 solo album and apparently sharing some conceptual links).
Since 2002, Markus Reuter has developed his work as a record producer for other artists, including Chrysta Bell, Yoshi Hampl, UMA, Tovah, The Season Standard, Skin Diary, Lake Cisco and The Redundant Rocker.
Reuter began his work as a teacher in 1998, conducting touch guitar seminars in Spain, Belgium, and the USA.
In 2005, Reuter founded the Touch Guitar Circle, offering expert teaching of touch-guitar playing methods plus a support network for players.
Despite making a name for himself as a leading player of, successively, the Chapman Stick and the Warr Guitar, Reuter eventually admitted to dissatisfaction with both instruments.
[12] Several of Reuter's students, including Alexander Dowerk[13] and Erik Emil Eskildsen[14] also play Touch Guitars and have released recordings of music made with the instrument.