Audrey Riley is an Englishcellist and string arranger.
Riley trained at theGuildhall School of Music with Leonard Stehn. She was acellist forVirginia Astley from 1983 to 1986 and a one-time auxiliary member ofthe Family Cat.
Riley has been a member of the post-minimalist bandIcebreaker since 1989,[1] and a frequentindie session artist.[2]
During 2002/03, Riley embarked on her own project, entitled A Change of Light, a collaboration between musicians, composers and visual artist Philip Riley, with Andrew Zolinsky (piano), James Woodrow (guitar), Nick Allum (The Fatima Mansions,the Apartments,Cathal Coughlan) and Rob Allum (High Llamas,Turin Brakes) both on drums, to present music for cello in an expanded recital. New works have been written by composers Gavin Bryars,David Lang,Steve Hillier (Dubstar),Mark Brydon (Moloko),Emma Anderson (Lush), Cathal Coughlan, Piet Goddaer (Ozark Henry),David Gavurin, Harriet Wheeler (The Sundays) and Damian le Gassick. After many performances in art galleries and venues in the UK, the project was recorded in 2003/04 for a combined CD/DVD release, with a second series being subsequently developed.[3]
She took part in the first performance of a new work, "Views", with music by Cage, performing with the experimental Japanese violinistTakahisa Kosugi and the composerChristian Wolff which toured throughout Europe in 2005–6.
In 2014, Riley joined London music college the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance as the tutor for arrangement classes.[4]
As an arranger and improvising session cellist she has recorded for two decades with numerous groups includingThe Style Council (A Stones Throw Away),the Smiths (Stop Me),Nick Cave (onTender Prey),Dubstar,The Cure,The Go-Betweens,The Sundays,Lush,[5] theSmashing Pumpkins (for whom she conducted theChicago Symphony Orchestra strings) andDave Matthews (for whom she conducted theSeattle Symphony Orchestra in eight of her arrangements for the albumSome Devil), as well as live and television appearances with many others. She has contributed her playing and arrangements to new albums byFoo Fighters (Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace),Coldplay (A Rush of Blood to the Head andX&Y),Feeder (Yesterday Went Too Soon,Comfort in Sound andPushing the Senses),Muse (Absolution,Black Holes & Revelations,The Resistance andDrones),Moloko (Statues) andFightstar (Be Human).
She has worked extensively with dance companies includingSiobhan Davies, RoyalScottish Ballet andRandom Dance. Since 2001 she has toured with theMerce Cunningham Dance Company performingGavin BryarsBi-ped and the solo work for cello,One8 byJohn Cage, in Paris, Mullhouse, Berlin, Dublin, Reykjavik, Bergen, Hong Kong, Brazil and atThe Barbican Centre, London.
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