Irmin Schmidt

Biography

Irmin Schmidt is a German keyboardist and composer, celebrated as a founding member of the influential Krautrock band Can. Classically trained under avant-garde masters like *Karlheinz Stockhausen* and *György Ligeti*, Schmidt fused his formal education with a passion for emerging rock and electronic sounds. After co-founding Can in 1968, he served as the band's keyboardist, shaping their groundbreaking, improvisational style until 1979. Following Can's dissolution, he embarked on a prolific solo career, composing over 120 film and television scores, releasing numerous solo albums like 'Toy Planet' and 'Musk at Dusk', and writing the fantasy opera 'Gormenghast', which premiered in 1998.