Last Updated on 1 day ago by Vijay Kumar
Ralph Towner, the acclaimed American jazz guitarist, composer and multi-instrumentalist, died on January 18, 2026, in Rome, Italy, at the age of 85, ending one of the most singular careers in modern jazz history. Towner’s passing was confirmed by ECM Records, the label that had released much of his work over more than four decades. He had lived in Italy since the early 1990s, first in Palermo and later in Rome, where he spent his final years.
Towner’s musical journey began in Chehalis, Washington, where he was born on March 1, 1940, into a deeply musical family — his mother was a piano teacher and his father a trumpet player.
He started improvising on piano at an early age and later studied classical composition at the University of Oregon before branching into jazz and guitar after training in classical guitar in Vienna. In the late 1960s he moved to New York, initially performing as a pianist, and soon became known for his innovative blend of jazz, classical technique and world music influences.
In 1970 Towner co-founded the influential ensemble Oregon with Paul McCandless, Glen Moore and Collin Walcott, a group that helped redefine the boundaries of jazz by integrating folk, Indian classical elements and free improvisation.
Alongside his work with Oregon, Towner maintained a distinguished solo career, recording numerous albums for the respected ECM Records label and collaborating with eminent musicians such as John Abercrombie, Gary Peacock, Gary Burton, Jan Garbarek and Paolo Fresu. His mastery of the 12-string and classical guitar, along with his compositional depth, made him one of the defining voices in acoustic jazz.
His longtime partner was theatrical and film actor Mariella Lo Sardi, with whom he shared his life in Rome, and he spent decades influencing peers and generations of guitarists. Tributes from across the music world have noted his profound artistic impact and the deep respect he earned from fellow musicians and fans alike.
My name is Vijay Kumar. I work as content writer and founder of this website. I am studying BSC IT. I has been writing content since 2022. I also learn about journalism.
