Milan and London-based composer and multi-genre artist Richard Green continues his exploration of music without strict genre boundaries with “Age of Dreams,” a composition that brings classical piano and strings together with elements of modern pop, indie, and blues. Released on December 22, 2024, the track forms part of First Light, a five-track EP that serves as the opening chapter of Green’s ambitious three-part music trilogy.

Green has built his artistic identity around moving freely between different musical worlds, working across classical, electronic, indie, and beat-driven soundscapes. For Age of Dreams, however, his focus turned strongly toward the expressive qualities of piano and strings, an area he has long been fascinated by. Rather than drawing inspiration from one specific artist, Green’s motivation came from his enduring passion for the sound and emotional possibilities of string instruments and his desire to create a collection of compositions that could bring classical traditions into conversation with contemporary music.

The project also gave Green the opportunity to collaborate with two accomplished names in Italian music. Irene Veneziano, one of Italy’s prominent contemporary classical pianists, performs the piano parts, while the acclaimed Archimia string quartet provides the string performances. Green composed all of the music himself during his time in London, writing the pieces specifically around the combination of piano and strings before bringing the compositions to Italy to be recorded.

The recording took place at Studio Elfo near Piacenza, Italy, where Veneziano and Archimia translated Green’s compositions into live performances. Their involvement was an important part of the project, allowing the intricate arrangements Green had developed to take shape through the playing of experienced classical musicians.

Green’s intention was not to create a strictly classical project. Instead, he wanted to combine elements of classical composition with influences from modern music, including pop, indie, and blues. That approach gives “Age of Dreams” a character that sits between traditional instrumental music and more contemporary songwriting sensibilities, reflecting Green’s wider reputation as an artist comfortable working across genres.

The track is also connected to a much larger artistic concept. “Age of Dreams” is one of five compositions featured on First Light, which is one of three EPs that make up Green’s most significant music project to date. Together, the three EPs form a narrative built around three major stages of human life: childhood, adulthood, and legacy.

Although First Light represents the beginning of the story within that larger concept, it was the final EP of the trilogy to be released. The structure allows Green to approach human life as a three-part journey, with each EP representing a different period and the emotional experiences associated with it.

First Light focuses on childhood, and “Age of Dreams” captures one of the defining qualities of that period: the sense that anything is possible.

Green describes the track as a reflection of the carefree and boundless imagination of youth, that period of life when possibilities appear almost limitless and the future has not yet been narrowed by the responsibilities and realities that often arrive with adulthood. The title itself refers to that precious stage when dreaming feels natural and the imagination seems unrestricted.

That idea gives the composition an emotional dimension beyond its musical construction. The combination of piano and strings allows Green to explore the feeling of childhood through an arrangement that can move between intimacy and expansiveness, while the contemporary influences prevent the piece from feeling tied entirely to a traditional classical framework.

The collaboration with Veneziano was particularly meaningful to Green. His interest in creating classical music for piano and strings led him to seek out musicians capable of bringing the compositions to life at the highest level, and working with Veneziano became an important part of the project’s development. Archimia’s contribution similarly gave the string arrangements a full ensemble character, allowing Green’s compositions to extend beyond the possibilities of a solo piano performance.

The result reflects Green’s role as both composer and artistic director of the project. While the performances come from specialist musicians, the compositions themselves were written entirely by Green, who shaped the musical direction and brought together the different influences that define the trilogy.

“Age of Dreams” therefore sits at the intersection of several aspects of Green’s work: his interest in classical composition, his fascination with strings, his openness to contemporary genres, and his desire to tell a larger story through music.

The three-EP concept also gives the track a place within a broader narrative rather than presenting it simply as an isolated composition. Childhood represents the first stage of the journey, followed by adulthood and eventually the legacy a person leaves behind. Green uses the trilogy to explore those stages through music, making the project both a musical and artistic undertaking.

For Green, the trilogy is his biggest project so far and also his most artistic. The opportunity to work with musicians such as Irene Veneziano and Archimia adds another dimension to that ambition, bringing together his own compositions with performances from musicians rooted in the classical tradition.

With “Age of Dreams,” Green offers a piece that looks back toward the imagination of childhood while using a musical language that crosses traditional boundaries. Classical piano and strings remain at the heart of the composition, but their surroundings are shaped by Green’s interest in pop, indie, blues, and contemporary sound.

The result is a personal opening chapter to a much larger musical story—one that begins with childhood, follows the journey through adulthood, and ultimately asks what remains after the journey is over.

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