Riley Wendt is a percussionist from Long Island, hailing from the hamlet of Calverton, New York. Riley began his percussive studies under Gary Hodges, a private instructor based in Stony Brook, at the age of 11. He currently attends the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, studying under Matthew Strauss of the Houston Symphony. Riley is one of a select few Long Island Scholar Artists — an honor which only half a dozen young Long Island musicians receive annually. Before coming to Rice, he graduated Valedictorian from Riverhead High School, and performed in the Boston University Tanglewood Institute’s Young Artists’ Orchestra. Last summer, he attended the Sewanee Summer Music Festival, and just a month prior to his arrival at Chautauqua, he participated in the Immanuel and Helen Olshan Texas Music Festival. Beyond his musical endeavors, Riley is a passionate linguist, specializing in the Nordic languages.