California composer Terry Riley launched what is now known as the minimalist movement with his revolutionary classic "In C" in 1964. This seminal work provided the conception for a form comprised of interlocking repetitive patterns that was to change the course of 20th century music and strongly influence the works of Steve Reich, Philip Glass and John Adams as well as rock groups such as The Who, The Soft Machine, Curved Air, Tangerine Dream and many others. In the '60s and '70s he turned his attention to solo works for electronic keyboards and soprano saxophone and pioneered the use of various kinds of tape delay in live performance resulting in another set of milestone works, "A Rainbow in Curved Air," "Poppy Nogood and the Phantom Band," "The Persian Surgery Dervishes" and "Shri Camel." These hypnotic, multi-layered polymetric, brightly orchestrated, eastern flavored improvisations set the stage for the new age movement that was to appear a decade or so later.

In 1970 Riley made his first of a series of trips to India to study with renowned North Indian vocal master Pandit Pran Nath. Over the years he frequently appeared with Pandit Pran Nath as vocal and tamboura accompanist. Terry taught North Indian Raga and music composition during his years at Mills College in Oakland, California, in the 1970s. It was there that he met David Harrington, the founder and first violinist of the Kronos Quartet, and began the long association that has produced nine string quartets, a keyboard quintet, "Crows Rosary," and a concerto for string quarte and orchestra, "The Sands," commissioned by the Salzberg Festival in 1991. "Cadenza on the Night Plain" was selected by both Time and Newsweek as one of the 10 Best Classical Albums of The Year. The epic five quartet cycle, "Salome Dances for Peace," was selected as the #1 Classical Album of the Year by USA Today newspaper and was nominated for a Grammy.

Riley's solo keyboard and piano concerts have become legendary due to his unique blending of eastern and western styles and the unusual all-night solo concerts he gave in the '60s. He was listed in the London Sunday Times as one of the 1000 Makers of the 20th Century.