Biography of Colin Riley

Having been Associate Composer for the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestras in the mid 90’s, and been commissioned by many of the leading performers of new contemporary classical music, Colin’s current work explores the integration of both improvisation and electronic components. It also engages with many contemporary issues from popular music and has led him away from straight scored music into more unexpected avenues.

He is the co-director of the Homemade Orchestra (which integrates jazz and classical performers and ways of creating material from improvisation) and director of ensemble MooV (combining song-writing with electronic manipulations, improvisation and video). The former will be touring ‘Nonsense’ in 2008/9 with the poet laureate for children, Michael Rosen and the latter will release its debut album ‘fold’ in November 2008.

In 2006 he launched his own record label. Squeaky Kate, with the albums ‘Close’ and ‘A Green And Yellow Melancholy’, receiving unanimous critical acclaim for both. As well as being a Senior Lecturer at Brunel University Colin is also the director of Music Orbit, a network for creative musicians.