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Musicians

Richard Graham, percussionist - e-mail

New York-born Richard Graham is a percussionist, ethnomusicologist and cultural anthropologist who has spent many years of his life studying the music foreign cultures, especially Brazil.  He has collected hundreds of instruments, songs and stories while traveling around the world and his educational programs, from which he lectures all over the United States, have been profiled on CNN, NBC, FOX, and ABC networks.

Richard, who is usually seen playing a berimbau, a one-stringed bow originally from Angola but widely used in Brazil, is credited with numerous performances with various ensembles in New York City, Memphis, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco.  He is also a writer, being featured in many publications and cross-cultural books, both here and abroad.

Mr. Graham holds a B.A. in Ethnomusicology/Anthropology (magna cum laude) from University of Memphis, and has studied privately with José "Papo" Dadiego, Robert Pleasant, Michael Sirrota (Israel Philharmonic), Armen Halburian, Babatunde Olatunki, Nana Vasconcelos, and Glen Velez, to name a few.

Matthew Richmond, drums/percussionist - website

Matthew Richmond is a percussionist, composer, and educator currently based in Asheville, North Carolina.  He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Percussion Performance from East Tennessee State University, and a Master’s in Percussion Performance and Composition from Ithaca College.  His primary teachers include Gordon Stout and Rande Sanderbeck in percussion, and Greg Woodward, Gordon Stout, and Dana Wilson in composition.

Matthew has performed with a long list of ensembles and soloists in classical, jazz, rock, theater, drum corps, and world music.  He has appeared as a guest marimba soloist with the ETSU Symphonic Wind Ensemble and the Johnson City Symphony, and premiered Ukrainian Rhapsody for marimba and wind ensemble by Taras Nahirniak.  He performs frequently with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony of the Mountains.  As vibist, percussionist, and co-composer with the Rande Sanderbeck Quartet, Matthew has recorded masterclass CD’s for Jazz Player and Saxophone Journal magazines.  After co-leading The Din, a large avant-garde ensemble, he performed modern small-group jazz as leader of Point B and the Richmond/Simmerman Duo, as well as appearing with Klarcnova, Anne Coombs, the Bill Perkins Quartet, Eta Carina, Chuck Lichtenberger, the Stephanie Morgan Quintet, and others.  He currently travels, performs, and records as a member of the pop-noir band Stephanie’s Id.

Eliot Wadopian, bassist - website

Having begun his studies at the Berklee College of Music, Multiple Grammy Award winning bassist Eliot Wadopian has been a professional musician for more than thirty years. He has performed extensively throughout the United States, Europe and Asia with many professional ensembles, among them the Howard Hanger Jazz Fantasy and the Paul Winter Consort.

Residing in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina, Eliot has involved his talents as a music educator and bassist at many regional universities, recording studios as well as performance venues in the U.S. and abroad.