Colin Riley
Colin Riley’s work draws on a range of elements including new technologies, improvisation, song-writing, and large-scale classical form. His work is difficult to categorize, embodying a genuine integration of stylistic approaches. His recent work includes Warp and Weft, a concerto for two cellos, (for Gabriella Swallow and GuyJohnston), Made 2 Resonate, a set of solo multi-sensory pieces with resonating environments, and Roads Like River Shining Up Hill After Rain for cello and choir marking the centenary of the death of poet Edward Thomas. He has also created a large-scale song-cycle in collaboration with seven contemporary writers called In Place.
Colin regularly creates work for his own two groups, the Homemade Orchestra and MooV, where he is composer and performer/director. Moov’s latest album Here was recently described as ‘utterly unclassifiable’ (London Jazz Blog), and ‘criminally underexposed’ (Jazz UK).
Colin’s work has been performed by many of the leading music performers and groups including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Smith Quartet, and Piano Circus amongst others. He has collaborated with diverse artists in the last few years including an album with drummer Bill Bruford, Skin and Wire and two theatre projects Nonsense and Centrally Heated Knickers with the poet Michael Rosen. He is a Senior Lecturer at Brunel University, on the classical executive committee at BASCA, and has been a mentor for the Making Music’s Adopt A Composer Scheme since 2001. He runs his own label Squeaky Kate and writes a regular blog about composing called Riley Notes.
Colin Riley’s work draws on a range of elements including new technologies, improvisation, song-writing, and large-scale classical form. His work is difficult to categorize, embodying a genuine integration of stylistic approaches. His recent work includes Warp and Weft, a concerto for two cellos, (for Gabriella Swallow and GuyJohnston), Made 2 Resonate, a set of solo multi-sensory pieces with resonating environments, and Roads Like River Shining Up Hill After Rain for cello and choir marking the centenary of the death of poet Edward Thomas. He has also created a large-scale song-cycle in collaboration with seven contemporary writers called In Place.
Colin regularly creates work for his own two groups, the Homemade Orchestra and MooV, where he is composer and performer/director. Moov’s latest album Here was recently described as ‘utterly unclassifiable’ (London Jazz Blog), and ‘criminally underexposed’ (Jazz UK).
Colin’s work has been performed by many of the leading music performers and groups including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Smith Quartet, and Piano Circus amongst others. He has collaborated with diverse artists in the last few years including an album with drummer Bill Bruford, Skin and Wire and two theatre projects Nonsense and Centrally Heated Knickers with the poet Michael Rosen. He is a Senior Lecturer at Brunel University, on the classical executive committee at BASCA, and has been a mentor for the Making Music’s Adopt A Composer Scheme since 2001. He runs his own label Squeaky Kate and writes a regular blog about composing called Riley Notes.
Recordings by this composer
Recordings
