Aug 13, 2021
On today's episode, I talk to modern composer Terry Riley.
Originally from Colfax, CA, Terry began studying composition and
performing solo piano in the 1950s. He befriended and collaborated
with composer La Monte Young, and through the '60s further refined
his sound. Terry's 1964 revolutionary composition "In C"
essentially launched what is now known as the Minimalist movement.
The piece's interlocking repetitive patterns changed the course of
20th century music, and its influence has been heard in the works
of prominent composers such as Steve Reich and Philip Glass, as
well as in the music of rock groups such as The Who and Soft
Machine, as well as in collaborations with everyone from John Cale
to Pauline Oliveros to Kronos Quartet. Since the '60s, Terry hasn't
slowed down a moment, and he continues to compose and perform, and
his latest recording is 2019's The Lion's Throne, a collaboration
with singer Amelia Cuni.
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