The British/New Zealand composer Richard Bolley lives and works in London.  He studied Music at York University (BA), the RCM in London (mentor John Lambert), the University of Auckland (MMus) and Goldsmiths (PhD, Composition).

His PhD portfolio Travels with Alex, inspired by the writings of the intrepid French Buddhist, Alexandra David-Néel, includes an hour-long cycle of nine pieces for obbligato viola and various ensembles, including a range of instruments from Tibetan Buddhist ritual. Three of these pieces were performed in a Goldsmiths concert in 2018. Entitled ‘Mantras and Mandalas’, this involved eight monks from the exiled Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, the Ligeti Quartet, counter-tenor Ben Williamson, prepared-piano player Kate Ryder and others, conducted by Roger Redgate (his Goldsmiths supervisor).

An early interest in vocal music broadened later into explorations of electronic media, the orchestra and even (his own instrument) the piano. Recurrent preoccupations since have been the interplay of highly ordered and free-form elements, of mosaic structures with melismatic vocal and instrumental lines and a quasi-spiritual search for a balance of dissonance and tonal elements.  These preoccupations have continued to be present in more recent works, together with a movement away from intense pre-compositional working towards more freedom and spontaneity.