Brian Riordan

Brian Riordan is an Artist Lecturer in Electronic Music at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Music, where he teaches a course he designed titled Programming Environments in Music: An Introduction to Max/MSP. He holds a PhD in Music Composition and Theory from the University of Pittsburgh. His research focuses on temporal discontinuity, delay-based performance, real-time digital signal processing, and laptop performance aesthetics.

Riordan is an active performer, improviser, and collaborator, having worked across rock, jazz, classical, and experimental genres in North America, Central America, Europe, and Asia. He has composed works for ensembles including The JACK Quartet, Wet Ink Ensemble, and Kamraton, with performances at venues like STEIM and festivals such as SICPP and New Music On The Point, which he also serves as technical director. Notably, he arranged string parts for Grammy-nominated band Code Orange’s album The Above (2023).

As a member of the Pittsburgh ensemble How Things Are Made, he has produced and performed on over 70 recordings and commissioned 52 compositions. His creative output bridges academic and experimental music practices, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration and technological innovation.