About
An Exhibition Celebrating the Music and Creative Journey of Terry Riley
sibasi kyoto
Terry Riley
– Moments from the Sound Current ‒
sibasi kyoto is a project series presented by Shibashi, a record café and cultural space based in Okazaki, Kyoto.
For its inaugural edition, sibasi kyoto presents “sibasi kyoto | Terry Riley – Moments from the Sound Current –,” featuring the legendary composer Terry Riley. The event will take place at Komyo-in Temple from November 16 (Mon) to November 29 (Sun), 2026.
Set within Komyo-in Temple, which is not ordinarily open to visitors at night, the event will feature a two-week sound installation and exhibition, alongside two nights of dedication performances. In this special setting, visitors can take in the temple’s celebrated garden in the soft glow of subtle lighting, offering a rare opportunity to experience Terry Riley’s music and works amid the beauty of late autumn.
── EVENT INFORMATION ──
Title：sibasi kyoto | Terry Riley – Moments from the Sound Current –
Dates：November 16 (Mon.)–29 (Sun.), 2026
*Last admission is 30 minutes before closing.
*The Dedication Performances will take place on November 21 (Sat.) and 22 (Sun.). The exhibition will be closed on both days.
Venue：Komyo-in
Opening Hours：6:00–9:00 PM
For the Dedication Performances：Doors open at 7:00 PM / Performance begins at 8:00 PM
Artist：Terry Riley
Admission：Weekdays
General admission: ¥1,800 advance / ¥2,000 at the door
Weekends and public holidays
General admission: ¥2,000 advance / ¥2,200 at the door
Dedication Performances
Main Hall: ¥8,000 / Hiro-ma Room: ¥5,000
Tickets go on sale：Monday, October 12, 2026, at 12:00 noon
Tickets：sibasi.jp/tickets
The ticketing page will become active when ticket sales begin.
Presented by sibasi
Planning and Production：Terry Riley / sibasi
With Special Cooperation from：Komyo-in
TERRY RILEY AND SIBASI
Why Terry Riley?
The answer lies in the special connection between Riley and sibasi. In fact, Terry Riley was the very first guest to visit sibasi. During that visit, he wrote the word “sibasi” with a calligraphy brush for the first time. His calligraphy remains displayed at the entrance today as a treasured talisman of the space.
In the spring of 2024, sibasi hosted a month-long series of raga classes led by Terry Riley. In July of the same year, Terry Riley and sibasi presented a dedication performance celebrating the 60th anniversary of In C on the Main Hall Stage of Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera Temple.
Riley also gave two dedication performances on the Noh stage at Higashi Honganji Temple as part of the second edition of AMBIENT KYOTO in 2023, an exhibition presented by Traffic, which operates sibasi. The performances received an overwhelming response.
As we begin writing a new chapter with “sibasi kyoto,” we could imagine no artist more fitting than Terry Riley.
Komyo-in, the venue for this exhibition, is affectionately known as the “Rainbow Moss Temple.” For those familiar with Riley’s celebrated work A Rainbow in Curved Air, the connection between “Terry Riley” and “rainbow” may feel particularly meaningful.
This correspondence was not deliberately arranged, but emerged through a succession of fortunate encounters and relationships. Even so, the mysterious way in which everything came together feels almost as though we were guided here.
Calligraphy of “sibasi” by Terry Riley
The dedication performance celebrating the 60th anniversary of In C, held on the Main Hall Stage of Kiyomizu-dera Temple
Terry Riley Message
Dear friends,
I am delighted and honored to have this opportunity to share my music,
drawings, and scores at the beautiful and inspiring Komyo-in Temple in
Kyoto.
Although I have performed in Kyoto many times before, this special exhibition offers something new: a two-week retrospective bringing together both live and recorded music, such as
Musical Offerings by my wonderful musician friends, and audio installations, along with my
drawings and scores on display. I am very happy to have this opportunity to share this work
with you in such a beautiful and meaningful setting.
My heartfelt thanks to sibasi kyoto and to everyone who has contributed their time, energy, and imagination to making this event possible.
I hope you enjoy the experience and that we have many opportunities to share music and friendship together.
Terry Riley
PROFILE
Terry Riley
Composer and musician. Born in California, Riley is 91 years old. A towering figure in contemporary music, he continues to create music that is as fresh and original as ever—past, present, and future.
His early masterpiece In C (1964) remains a landmark of minimal music, while A Rainbow in Curved Air (1969) has become an enduring psychedelic classic and had a profound influence on the ambient music that followed.
Drawing inspiration from Indian classical music, Riley’s work also anticipated sampling and looping, extending its influence into club culture. His groundbreaking musical practice since the 1960s has transcended genres and helped lay the foundations of today’s global music scene.
Instagram：instagram.com/tadashi.for.terry.riley
sibasi
sibasi is a record café and cultural space established in Kyoto’s Okazaki district in October 2023.
With sound at its core, sibasi also presents events encompassing art, food, and the performing arts. Located in a renovated century-old machiya townhouse, it continues to create new moments each day as a place where different cultures and people intersect.
Since opening in 2023, sibasi has undertaken a wide range of activities both within and beyond its own space. These include presenting two dedication performances on the Main Hall Stage of Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera Temple: Terry Riley in 2024 and Meitei in 2026.
These experiences have led to the creation of “sibasi kyoto.”
AMBIENT KYOTO is organized by Traffic, the company that operates sibasi.
Official Website：sibasi.jp/sibasikyoto
Instagram：instagram.com/sibasikyoto