Werner Müller (August 2, 1920 – December 28, 1998) was a German composer, conductor and orchestra leader renowned for his work in light music and swing. Born in Berlin, Müller initially aspired to be an explorer or doctor, but his father steered him toward music.
By age 10, he performed a Mozart violin concerto as a soloist. Trained in piano, violin, and trombone, he attended the Bückeburg Military Music School in 1936. During World War II, he encountered swing while in American captivity, shaping his future style.
In 1949, Müller took over the newly formed RIAS Tanzorchester in Berlin, crafting a signature “swing with strings” sound with a robust ensemble of trumpets, trombones, saxophones and 18 strings.
His orchestra became a staple in German entertainment, accompanying stars like Caterina Valente and appearing in films. In 1967, he moved to Cologne, leading the WDR Tanzorchester and featuring in TV shows.
Recording under pseudonyms like Ricardo Santos, Müller produced numerous albums, including popular tangos and instrumental hits. He died in Cologne at 78, leaving a legacy as a master of German orchestral pop.
77 recordings by Werner Müller you can hear on Instrumentals Forever:
A Banda • A Trumpeter’s Lullaby • Adagio (Albinoni) • Adios • Adventures In Paradise • Air On The G String • Aloha Oe • Also Sprach Zarathustra • Amor, Amor, Amor • Bachianas Brasileiras No.5 • Bali Ha’i • Beethoven’s 9th Symphony • Begin The Beguine • Belle Of The Ball • Blue Hawaii • Blue Tango • Brazil • Bugler’s Holiday • Concerto de Aranjuez • Cumana • Delicado • Desafinado • El Cumbanchero • Fiddle Faddle • Fiddler On The Roof • Flight Of The Bumble Bee • Forgotten Dreams • Frenesie • Get Me To The Church On Time • Granada • Gypsy Ways • Hallelujah Chorus (From The Messiah) • ‘Hawaiian Eye’ Theme • Hawaiian War Chant • Hey Look Me Over • Holiday For Strings • Hora Staccato • In A Little Spanish Town • Jazz Pizzicato • Jealousy • Jeux Interdits • Let Me Entertain You • Mack The Knife • Mambo Jambo • Mañana • March Of The Siamese Children • March Of The Toys • Meditation • My Little Grass Shack • None But The Lonely Heart • Now Is The Hour • Oklahoma • On The Beach At Wakiki • Pagan Love Song • Pepito • Perfidia • Pizzicato Polka • Sarabande • Serenade For Strings • Serenata • Seventy Six Trombones • Sleigh Ride • Solamente Una Vez • Spanish Harlem • Sweet Lelani • Symphony No. 40 1st Movement • The Moon Of Manakoora • The Night They Invented Champagne • The Peanut Vendor • The Syncopated Clock • The Typewriter Song • Theme From Elvira Madigan (Piano Concerto No. 21) • There Is Nothing Like A Dame • Theres No Business Like Showbusiness • With A Little Bit Of Luck • Yellow Canary • Yours •
