Terry Riley - In C - Live at Millennium Park, Chicago

On June 25, 2015, thanks to funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, Third Coast Percussion organized a performance of American composer Terry Riley's minimalist masterpiece "In C," featuring over 100 musicians from throughout the Chicago area, and beyond. Participants came from classical ensembles including the San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra, and Chicago Harp Quartet; bands including Snarky Puppy, Wild Belle, Mucca Pazza and In Tall Buildings; new music ensembles including Ensemble Dal Niente, Fifth House Ensemble, Ursa Ensemble, Spektral Quartet, and Mocrep; local schools including the University of Chicago, Northern Illinois University, Milliken University, DePaul University, and the Merit School of Music; and semi-pro and volunteer ensembles including the North Shore Concert Band and Rock River Philharmonic.

The performance took place at Millennium Park's Pritzker Pavilion in downtown Chicago in front of an audience of thousands. We were celebrating Terry Riley's 80th birthday, and the 50th anniversary of his composing this monumental piece, which is scored for any combination of instruments and any size ensemble.

It was a beautiful, raucous, deeply moving performance. Enjoy the video!