River Paul Guerguerian is a Multi-Percussionist, Composer and Educator who was born in 1967 in Montreal, Canada to Armenian-Egyptian parents.

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. While living in NYC, he performed and/or recorded with such groups as the BBC Symphony Orchestra, New Music Consort, Lionel Hampton, Paul Winter Consort, Tibetan Singing Bowl Ensemble, Talujon Percussion Ensemble, Chuck Berry, Sophie B. Hawkins, Ziggy Marley/Gipsy Kings.

Between 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 playing 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,
London, and has recorded on over 100 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.

As a studio musician he frequently records with musicians 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.

In 1994, River sold all possessions, left civilization for five years, and lived in a wildlife sanctuary in the Himalaya Mountains.

His music has evolved from research of indigenous instruments gathered from travels around the planet.  
He enjoys teaching rhythm and sound exploration workshops. Since 1999 River has been living in the mountains of Asheville, NC with his wife and
three daughters.

Visit him at www.ShareTheDrum.com

click here for a RESUME (pdf file)

“Guerguerian’s composition, sensationally performed, devoted itself even more religiously to the possibilities of pure sound.”

—The New York Times