Maya Beiser Releases 'TERRY RILEY: IN C'

On April 5, 2024, cellist and producer Maya Beiser will release her newest solo album, Maya Beiser x Terry Riley: In C, on her Islandia Music Records label. On it, Maya recreates Terry Riley's In C as a series of ever-evolving cello loops. Enveloped by live drumming by Shane Shanahan and Matt Kilmer, Maya constructs a hypnotic, rapturous soundscape that re-envisions this classic Minimalist masterpiece.

“To me,” Maya says, “Terry Riley’s In C is an amalgamation of an ‘open source’ and ‘sacred text.’ In creating this album I was interested in finding the serendipitous rhythmic and melodic connections that emerge when reconstructing In C’s 53 melodic cells as a series of cello loops, floating above continuous C string cello drones. The album explores how the mysterious world of the cello’s C string, with its rich overtones and harmonics, informs and reshapes Terry’s work in an intimate, yet expansive iteration of this classic work. This is a personal journey into a piece which was originally created and has always been performed as a communal experience.”

Terry Riley describes Maya's performance on the recording as, “stunningly beautiful.” He says, “The overall shape flows so naturally and her cello sound is so warm and powerful.”