Terry Riley

Minimalist Composer and Pioneering Keyboardist

Terry Riley is an American composer and performing artist primarily associated with the minimalist school of Western classical music. Born on June 24, 1935, in Colfax, California, Riley was instrumental in pioneering the minimalist music movement with his innovative compositions and use of tape loops and delay systems. His landmark piece "In C," composed in 1964, is often cited as the first minimalist composition and has had a profound influence on contemporary music, contributing to the development of genres such as minimalism, ambient music, and even influencing certain streams of rock and electronic music.