On June 5, the legendary minimalist composer Terry Riley—whose work continues to massively impact ambient, experimental, EDM, and even rock music—will perform online to raise funds for COVID-19 relief in India. Organized by esteemed art/music writer Geeta Dayal, this is a rare opportunity to see a live performance from Riley who now resides in Japan and turns 86 next month. I've been fortunate to see him perform three times in the last two decades and every concert was entirely unique and totally sublime. From Gray Area:
Riley has had a longstanding alliance with the rich musical cultures of India, going back to the 1960s. Like other prominent musicians of the time, including the Beatles and Ravi Shankar, Riley was key in forging an important bridge between Indian music and the West.
Riley first achieved international acclaim in the 1960s, when he launched what is now known as the Minimalist movement with his classic "In C." In 1969, he released the album A Rainbow in Curved Air, an inspiration to many rock bands including The Who, who named their hit song "Baba O'Riley" in partial homage. In 1970, he became a disciple of the master Indian raga vocalist Pandit Pran Nath; Riley appeared frequently in concert with Pran Nath until Pran Nath's passing in 1996. Riley's visionary, wide-ranging music has had a huge impact on generations of artists and musicians, including contemporary composers like Philip Glass and Steve Reich, and throughout all of popular music.
Tickets are on a sliding scale, with a suggested donation of $20. (If you are able to donate more than $20, that would be welcome.) While no one will be turned away for lack of funds, please contribute what you can to help provide relief during this critical juncture of the Covid-19 crisis in India. All proceeds will go directly to organizations working on the ground in India.
