Guitarist and composer, born in Leverkusen (North Rhine-Westphalia) / The path to composing his own music was largely autodidactic in the 1990s, before he began to study composition at the Robert Schumann University after graduation and civil service, which he later continued at the Mozarteum Salzburg and finished with a master's degree. He is a laureate of numerous competitions and other tenders and composed music u. a. on behalf of the Hamburg State Opera and the SWR. Björn Raithel is now a lecturer in music theory at the Robert Schumann University and a teacher of classical guitar at the municipal music school in Bochum and teacher of composition and music theory at the Clara Schumann Music School. (Rainer Stelle)