River Paul Guerguerian is a Multi-Percussionist/Composer/Educator who was born in 1967, grew up in Montreal, Canada, lived in NYC, Indian Himalya Mountains, Maui, New Mexico, and has been in Asheville, NC since 1999. 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. He has performed and/or recorded with such groups as the BBC Symphony Orchestra, New Music Consort, English Chamber Orchestra, Lionel Hampton, Paul Winter Consort, Tibetan Singing Bowl Ensemble, Talujon Percussion Quartet (co-founder), Chuck Berry, Sophie B. Hawkins, and Ziggy Marley/Gipsy Kings.
Betwween 1988-1993 River worked and developed sounds with Grammy and Oscar winning composer Tan Dun, with whom he won a Bessie Award for “Jo Ha Kyu”. Since 2002 He has been Framedrumming with Omar Faruk Tekbilek, world renowned Turkish ney flute master. You can also hear him with his world fusion jazz trio Free Planet Radio.
Guerguerian has performed at International Music Festivals in Berlin, New York, Moscow, Rome, San Francisco, Edinburgh, Hong Kong, Barcelona, Athens, Istanbul and has recorded on over 90 albums and film soundtracks, including the John Cage documentary film, “I Have Nothing to Say and I Am Saying It”. His compositions have been commissioned and performed by chamber ensembles, universities, modern dance companies, and new music festivals throughout the U.S.
As a studio musician he frequently records with singer-songwriters of all genres and can be found playing Drumset, Middle Eastern and Afro-Cuban percussion, Frame Drums, Marimba, Tabla, Kanjira, Cajon, Gongs, Singing Bowls, Loopers, and various found objects. He also records drum tracks for artists at his own studio.
River conducts rhythm and sound exploration workshops throughout the country, and enjoys teaching privately.
Visit him at www.guerguerian.com
"Guerguerian made magical sounds." -New York Times
