Richard Steven Burmer was an American composer, sound designer, and ethnomusicologist born on 19 September 1955 in Owosso, Michigan. He achieved professional recognition for a musical style blending electronic music with instruments and motifs from around the world. After studying music theory and composition, Burmer relocated to Los Angeles and served as a sound designer for E-mu Systems and an engineer for EFX Systems. His recording career began with the debut studio recording Mosaic (1984), followed by Bhakti Point (1987). He achieved professional recognition for the collaborative studio recording Western Spaces (1987) with Steve Roach and Kevin Braheny. His discography includes the studio recordings On the Third Extreme (1988), Invention (1992), and Treasures of the Saints (1996). Burmer died of heart disease on 9 September 2006. His recording career includes the compilation Shining by the River (1995) and the posthumous studio recording World Fusion (2023).
