Born in California in 1953 and influenced by his father's love of classical music, Reichel began musical studies at an early age. In 1971 he enrolled in the University of California at Santa Barbara where he studied composition and theory with Edward Applebaum and Peter Racine Fricker. After receiving his Ph.D. in 1980 he moved to Denmark and began studies with Per Nørgård. He performs as a pianist and harpsichordist, and his music has been performed regularly throughout the United States and Scandanavia. Since 1990 he has lived in the U.S.
