Rolling along with The River Project
In the fall of 2009, composer Eve Beglarian embarked on a four-month-long journey down the entire Mississippi River by kayak and bicycle, immersing herself in local histories and the writings of those who had made similar journeys, including Mark Twain and Jonathan Raban. During her trip through the heart of the country, Eve kept a sonic journal about the people and places she encountered. These journal entries have evolved over the past several years into the River Project: a collection of original compositions, adventurous arrangements of river-related songs, as well as images, videos, and spoken-word readings, performed by the BRIM ensemble (Beglarian's duo with violinist Mary Rowell), Guidonian Hand trombone quartet, and Taylor Levine on guitars.
This February, the River Project was featured at California State University Fullerton's New Music Festival, where the performers appeared in masterclasses, composer forums, and two featured performances.
"Everything about Beglarian's project is quietly idiosyncratic. BRIM itself is the duo of Beglarian as vocalist and reciter and manipulator of laptop-generated electronics, along with violinist Mary Rowell. The ensemble adds guitarist Gyan Riley and the Guidonian Hand trombone quartet.
Beglarian's suitably Mississippian music laps repetitively. The four trombones are a sheer joy of serenading foghorns. Rowell and Riley are exciting, creative musicians." -- Mark Swed, The Los Angeles Times, March 1, 2014
Watch video, listen to audio clips, and learn more about the River Project here.
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