Born in Yorkshire, England, Richard Gavin Bryars (b. January 16, 1943) is a composer and double bass player. He attended the University of Sheffield before traveling to the U.S. and studying with John Cage. He is associated with the so-called New York School, and the influence of Morton Feldman, Earle Brown and Minimalist movement is evident in his early works such as The Sinking of the Titanic (1969) and Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet (1971).

Later pieces of note include After the Requiem (1990), A Man In A Room, Gambling (1992), and the cello concerto Farewell to Philosophy (1995) premiered by Julian Lloyd Webber. Bryars has worked in a large number of forms, including opera, string quartets and concertos. He has also created dance music and participated in mutlitmedia projects as both a performer and a composer.