B.Mus., University of Colorado (1965)
M.Mus., University of Illinois (1968)
Ph.D in composition, University of Iowa (1973)
Principal teachers George Crumb, Thomas Frederickson, Ben Johnson, Richard Hervig and Donald Jenni.
Composer-in-Residence with Ford Foundation/MENC in Rockford, Illinois (1965-67)
Taught at California State University, Fresno (1971-74), Columbia University (1974-78).
Awards include Fromm Foundation commission, Guggenheim Fellowship, two NEA grants.

Early musical works in post-Webern style, primarily drawing on serial techinques. Later works reveal great lyrical content with a particular fluency for vocal writing.

WORKS:

ORCHESTRA

Concertante Music No.3 (Viola Concerto)
for: viola solo, orchestra: 3(Picc. AF1)2(EH)3(BC1)2 4230 T Perc(5) Hp Pf Cel Str
date: 1972-74
duration: 19:00
published: C.F. Peters Corporation

Elegy (In Memoriam David Bates)
for: cello solo and string orchestra
date: 1975
duration: 4:00
published: C.F. Peters Corporation

Noon Dances
for: small orchestra: 1111 1100 Hp Perc(1) Str
date: 1982-83
duration: 19:00
published: C.F. Peters Corporation

Symphony
for: large orchestra: 3(Picc.AF1) 3(EH) 3(BC1) 3(CB) 4331 Hp Pf Perc(3) Timp Str
date: 1983
duration: 35:00
published: C.F. Peters Corporation
note: commissioned by NEA

Theme and Variations
for: orchestra: 2(Picc)122 2220 T Perc(1) Cel Str
date: 1965
duration: 8:00
published: C.F. Peters Corporation

PIANO

Five Little Movements (Piano Piece No. II)
date: 1963
duration: 2:30
published: C.F. Peters Corporation

Noon Dances
for: version for 2 pianos, 4 hands
date: 1982-83
duration: 19:00
published: C.F. Peters Corporation

Piano Piece No. III
date: 1964
duration: 3:30
published: C.F. Peters Corporation

Six Canonic Variations (Piano Piece No. 1)
date: 1963
duration: 1:00
published: C.F. Peters Corporation

CHAMBER

Apparitions
for: flute/piccolo, harp, viola
date: 1984
duration: 13:00
published: C.F. Peters Corporation
recorded: Mindy Kaufman, flute, Maureen Gallagher, viola, Nancy Allen, harp, Composers Recordings, Inc. CRI CD 595.

Canzona
for: clarinet
date: 1977
duration: 4:30
published: C.F. Peters Corporation

Concertante Music No. 1
for: piano solo, 3 violins, flute, trumpet, double bass, alto flute, clarinet, harp, cello, bass clarinet, trombone, percussion
date: 1969-70
duration: 8:30
published: C.F. Peters Corporation

Concertante Music No. 2
for: flute, clarinet, trombone, percussion (2), violin, viola, cello
date: 1971-72
duration: 17:30
published: C.F. Peters Corporation

Concertante Music No. 4
for: flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, horn, piano, percussion, violin, viola, bass
date: 1977-78
duration: 13:00
published: C.F. Peters Corporation

Concertino
for: cello, piano, trumpet, harp, percussion (2)
date: 1976
duration: 12:30
published: C.F. Peters Corporation
note: commissioned by Fromm Music Foundation and Berkshire Music Festival

Fantasia
for: oboe (or flute), clarinet, cello
date: 1983
duration: 2:00
published: C.F. Peters Corporation
note: after Orlando Gibbons

Masques
for: flute, oboe, clarinet (in A), bassoon, horn
date: 1982
duration: 9:00
published: C.F. Peters Corporation

Six Preludes for Harp
for: harp
date: 1986
duration: 11:00
published: C.F. Peters Corporation

Trio, The Household Muses
for: viola, clarinet, flute
date: 1999
recorded: Kelly Burke, clarinet, Scott Wyatt Rawls, viola, Arthur Tollefson, piano, Centaur Records (forthcoming)

Variations II (Trio)
for: violin, viola, cello
date: 1967-68
duration: 7:00
published: C.F. Peters Corporation
recorded: Robert Strava, violin, William Hibbard, viola, Carolyn Berdahl, cello, Composers Recordings, Inc. CRI SD 324.

Variations III
for: viola
duration: 5:30
published: C.F. Peters Corporation
note: written for William Hibbard

Variations IV
for: clarinet
date: 1977
duration: 7:30
published: C.F. Peters Corporation

Winter Music
for: violin, viola
date: 1980-81
duration: 10:30
published: American Composers Alliance

SOLO VOICE

Cantata I
for: mezzo-soprano, tenor saxophone, vibraphone, cello, piano
date: 1966
duration: 7:00
text: poems by D. H. Lawrence
published: C.F. Peters Corporation

Cloud Songs
for: soprano and piano
date: 1961-62
duration: 4:30
published: American Composers Alliance

Five Poems of Marilyn Hacker
for: soprano, flute, oboe, bassoon, harpsichord, percussion, violin, viola, cello
date: 1986
duration: 24:00
published: C.F. Peters Corporation

Five Songs on Japanese Haiku
for: soprano, clarinet, violin, cello
date: 1963
duration: 4:00
published: C.F. Peters Corporation
note: English translations by Harold Stewart

Seven Songs on Poems of Emily Dickinson
for: soprano (high mezzo) and piano
date: 1978-81
duration: 15:00
published: American Composers Alliance
recorded: Rosalind Rees, soprano, Rebecca La Brecque, piano, GSS Records

Summer Music
for: alto (or counter-tenor), flute, guitar
date: 1979
duration: 8:00
text: poem by Thomas Campion
published: American Composers Alliance
recorded: Rosalind Rees, soprano, Mindy Kaufman, flute, David Starobin, guitar, GSS Records

Two Songs
for: baritone and piano
date: 1986
duration: 10:00
text: poems of Theodore Roethke
published: C.F. Peters Corporation

Wedding Canticle
for: baritone and viola
date: 1967-68
duration: 3:00
text: Psalm 127 (Latin)
published: American Composers Alliance

CHORAL

Beata Viscera
for: SATB a cappella
date: 1967
duration: 3:00
published: Gordon V. Thompson (Canada)
recorded: CBC Stereo SM-203; MHS Stereo 3905

Blessed be the Lord
for: SATB, trumpet (or oboe), organ
date: 1961
duration: 4:00
text: Psalm 28
published: Lawson-Gould (out of print)

Cantata II
for: SATB, flute, piano, harp
date: 1966
duration: 3:00
text: poem by Thomas Nashe
published: Berandol Music (Canada)
recorded: Gregg Smith Singers, GSS Records 106

Cantata III: Whispers of Heavenly Death
for: SSAA, orchestra (2231 2211 Perc(3) Hp Pf Str)
date: 1968
duration: 5:30
published: C. F. Peters Corporation

Cantata IV: Beastly Conceits
for: SATB, alto and tenor solos, orchestra (2222 2100 T Perc(1) Pf Str)
date: 1979-80
duration: 16:00
text: poems for children by Theodore Roethke
published: C. F. Peters Corporation
note: version for piano 4-hands (vocal score)

Elegy for September 15, 1945
for: SATB, clarinet, piano, double bass, tympani, percussion
date: 1965
duration: 6:30
published: C.F. Peters Corporation
text: poem by Rainer Maria Rilke

Liebeslied
for: SATB a cappella
date: 1964
duration: 2:30
published: C.F. Peters Corporation
text: poem by Rainer Maria Rilke

Magnificat
for: SATB a cappella
date: 1978
duration: 8:00
published: American Composers Alliance
note: commissioned by the New York Motet Choir
recorded: Gregg Smith Singers, GSS Records 106

Pater Noster: Ave Maria
for: SSAA (or TTBB) a cappella
date: 1962
duration: 4:00
published: American Composers Alliance

Psalm 83 (84)
for: SATB a cappella
date: 1981
duration: 5:00
published: C. F. Peters Corporation
note: commissioned by Corpus Christi Church, New York

Winter Settings
for: TTBB, flute, oboe, harp, piano, percussion, strings
date: 1982
duration: 9:00
published: E. C. Schirmer
text: poems by Thomas Campion and Thomas Durfey
note: commissioned by the New York City Gay Men's Chorus

Winter Settings
for: SATB Fl Ob Hp Pf Perc(1) Vn
date: 1982
duration: 9:00
published: E. C. Schirmer

OPERA

The Cats' Concert
Opera for children in 2 scenes
for: soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass-baritone, 5 singing and 3 speaking roles for children, children's chorus
date: 1983
duration: 65:00 - 70:00
book and lyrics: Joseph Pazillo

Rappaccini's Daughter
Opera in one act after Nathaniel Hawthorne
for: soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass-baritone, bass, 2(Picc) Afl 2(EH) 2(BC1) 2 2210 Hp Pf Perc(2) Str
date: 1980-84
duration: 90:00
libretto: Joseph Pazillo and Dennis Riley
published: C. F. Peters Corporation

MAGNETIC TAPE

The Fragility of the Flower Unbruised Penetrates Space
date: 1970
duration: 13:15

UNCOMPLETED WORKS:
Unknown

WRITINGS:
Unknown

DISCOGRAPHY:

CDs:
Apparitions, Mindy Kaufman, flute, Maureen Gallagher, viola, Nancy Allen, harp, Composers Recordings, Inc. CRI CD 595.
Trio, The Household Muses, Kelly Burke, clarinet, Scott Wyatt Rawls, viola, Arthur Tollefson, piano, Centaur Records (forthcoming).

LPs:
Beata Viscera, CBC Stereo SM-203.
Beata Viscera, MHS Stereo 3905.
Cantata II, Magnificat, Gregg Smith Singers, GSS Records 106.
Seven Songs on Poems of Emily Dickinson, Rosalind Rees, soprano, Rebecca La Brecque, piano, GSS Records.
Summer Music, Rosalind Rees, soprano, Mindy Kaufman, flute, David Starobin, guitar, GSS Records.
Variations II (Trio), Robert Strava, violin, William Hibbard, viola, Carolyn Berdahl, cello, Composers Recordings, Inc. CRI SD 324.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

• "Riley, Dennis" by Barbara A. Petersen, The Grove Dictionary of American Music (1995).
• "Riley, Dennis" by James P. Cassaro, The New Grove Dictionary of Music, Grovemusic.com (2001).
• "Riley, Dennis" by James P. Cassaro, The Grove Dictionary of Opera.

PERFORMING RIGHTS AFFILIATION:
BMI

RESOURCES:
American Composers Alliance
73 Spring Street Suite 505
New York, NY 10012
Tel: (212) 362-8900
Fax: (212) 941-9704
info@composers.com

Berandol Music (Canada)
Magnamusic Distributors
P.O. Box 338
Sharon, CT 06069
Tel: (860) 364-5431
Fax: (860) 364-5168
magnamusic@magnamusic.com
www.magnamusic.com

Lawson-Gould Music Publishers
European American Music Distributors LLC
P.O. Box 4340
15800 NW 48th Avenue
Miami, FL 33014
Tel: (305) 521-1604
Fax: (305) 521-1638
eamdc@eamdc.com
www.eamdc.com

C.F. Peters Corp.
70-30 80th Street
Glendale, NY 11385
(718) 416-7800
www.edition-peters.com

E. C. Schirmer Music Co.
ECS Publishing
138 Ipswich Street
Boston MA 02215-3534
Tel: (617) 236-1935 ask for Order Department
Fax: (617) 236-0261
office@ecspublishing.com
www.ecspublishing.com

Gordon V. Thompson (Canada)
Warner Brothers Publications, Inc.
15800 NW 48th Avenue
Box 4340
Miami, FL 33014
Tel: (305) 620-1500
Fax: (305) 621-4869

MUSICAL EXECUTOR:
Alice Riley (daughter)
106 Cabrini Boulevard Apt. 6J
New York, NY 10033

OTHER CONTACTS:
Unknown