Christopher O'Riley is an American classical pianist and public radio show host known for combining classical technique with contemporary repertoire. After studying at the New England Conservatory of Music, O'Riley won the 1981 Young Concert Artists International Auditions and received awards at the Leeds, Van Cliburn, Busoni, and Montreal competitions. His debut album, featuring a collection of the works of Ferruccio Busoni, was released in 1983, followed by recordings of Maurice Ravel, Igor Stravinsky, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. In 2003, O'Riley released True Love Waits: Christopher O'Riley Plays Radiohead, which was followed by Hold Me to This: Christopher O'Riley Plays Radiohead in 2005. Later releases include Home to Oblivion: An Elliott Smith Tribute (2006), Second Grace: The Music of Nick Drake (2007), Out of My Hands (2009), O'Riley's Liszt (2013), and The Bach Dialogues (2026). O'Riley hosted the National Public Radio program From the Top and performed widely, bringing classical audiences to contemporary songs.
