Percussionist/Educator, River Guerguerian

River Guerguerian is an award-winning Multi-Percussionist, Composer, and Educator. Canadian-born, he is of Armenian-Egyptian extraction.  For over 25 years he has performed in concert halls in Tokyo, Moscow, Rome, Berlin, Hong Kong, Barcelona, Athens, Istanbul, London, including Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, and Lincoln Center.

Guerguerian has performed and/or recorded with such groups as the BBC Symphony Orchestra, New Music Consort, Tibetan Singing Bowl Ensemble, Paul Winter Consort, Talujon Percussion Ensemble, Chuck Berry, Sophie B. Hawkins, and Ziggy Marley/Gipsy Kings.
River also performed in the John Cage documentary film,“I Have Nothing to Say and I Am Saying It”.

In 1989, he received his Bachelor of Music from the Manhattan School of Music Conservatory and graduated with the school’s award for Most Outstanding Percussionist.

Between 1988-1993, River created works with Grammy and Oscar winning composer Tan Dun, and toured around the world with their original instruments.

In 1994, River sold all possessions, left civilization for five years, and lived in a wildlife sanctuary in the Himalaya Mountains. New influences initiated intense research and experimentation into the physiological effects of sound on the body and brainwave states.

River Guerguerian’s music has evolved through explorations of indigenous instruments, and their trance-inducing effect, gathered from travels around the planet.  His compositions have been commissioned and performed by chamber ensembles, universities, modern dance companies, and new music festivals.

For more information see River’s website at http://www.guerguerian.com.