Terry Riley

Terry Riley (born 24 June 1935 in Colfax, California) is an American composer associated with the minimalist school.

Born in Colfax, California, Riley studied at Shasta College, San Francisco State University, and the San

Terry Riley (born 24 June 1935 in Colfax, California) is an American composer associated with the minimalist school.

Born in Colfax, California, Riley studied at Shasta College, San Francisco State University, and the San Francisco Conservatory before earning an MA in composition at the University of California, Berkeley, studying with Seymour Shifrin. His most influential teacher, however, was the late Pandit Pran Nath, a master of Indian classical voice, who also taught La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela. Riley made numerous trips to India over the course of their association to study and to accompany him on tabla, tambura, and voice. Throughout the sixties he travelled frequently around Europe as well, taking in musical influences and supporting himself by playing in piano bars, until he joined the Mills College faculty in 1971 to teach Indian classical music.