Randy Raine-Reusch is a composer, concert-artist and improvisor specializing in New and Experimental Music for world instruments. An innovator interested in extending the boundaries of music, he has created distinct new performance styles on instruments from his collection of 1000. His performances often include rare, endangered instruments from remote parts of the world. 

Raine-Reusch has spent over fifty years exploring the relationship of music to psychology, philosophy, and spiritual practices. He studied at the Creative Music Studio with Fred Rzewski, Jack Dejohnette and Karl Berger, before going overseas to study with master musicians in Australia, Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Burma and the Philippines, as well as with "National Treasures" in Korea and Japan. As a result his music now contains clear influences from a variety of indigenous cultures and is heavily influenced by Taoism and Zen.

A two-time Juno award nominee, Raine-Reusch strives for a balance of virtuosity, innovation, and a contemplative depth of spirit, while retaining the essence of his instruments. He has performed and/or recorded with the Tianjin Symphony Orchestra; Aerosmith; Yes; The Cranberries; members of Gong, Hawkwind, and Soft Machine; Ellen McIlwaine; Henry Kaiser; Hun Huur Tu; Wu Man; Mei Han; David Lindley; Pauline Oliveros; Stuart Dempster; Joe McPhee; Jon Gibson; Barry Guy; Robert Dick; Frank Gratkowski; Mats Gustafsson; Liu Yuening; Sainkho Namtchylak; Jin Hi Kim; and Issui Minegishi the Japanese Iemoto / Hereditary Grand Master of Seikyodo Ichigenkin. In addition to his concert tours to major international festivals and concert stages around the world, Raine-Reusch has been featured in five documentary films on music, and on a wide variety of national and international radio and TV broadcasts, including the famed American PBS “Prairie Home Companion. He has worked on projects that received nominations/awards for the Juno, Leo, and Grammy Awards"

As a composer, Raine-Reusch has a distinctive voice, whether creating simple folk melodies or extremely experimental works that challenge both the audience and performers. He has premiered works ranging from large-scale site-specific extravaganzas, electro-acoustic, or realtime interactive computer works, to intimate chamber pieces for film, dance, and theatre.

A multi-faceted artist, Raine-Reusch was a founder of the Rainforest World Music Festival (voted in top 10 fests in the world) in Sarawak, Malaysia, and served as Artistic Director for 8 years. He has been the Artistic Director of the Borneo Jazz Fest, a consultant for the Korean Government, and the consultant for Cirque du Soleil's Quidam. Raine-Reusch has been the producer on numerous international labels, and has launched the careers of numerous international and Grammy award-winning artists. He has been a guest lecturer in the fields of composition, performance, ethnomusicology, and psychology at prominent universities and conferences worldwide. He was a contributing editor for Musicworks Magazine and published Play the World: 101 World Instrument Primer with Mel Bay Publications. As an organologist, Raine-Reusch was an Associate Professor at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, a guest lecturer at Kenyon College in Ohio, a consultant for the Stearn’s Collection at the University of Michigan, a consultant for The Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, and the Director of Acquisitions for the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix. Raine-Reusch is a past Board Member of the Canadian New Music Network, a member of the Canadian League of Composers, an Affiliate of the Canadian Music Centre and the Executive Director of the Red Chamber Cultural Society.

Randy's Blog - Within The Wind: stories of musicians, thoughts on music, life and perception

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Consulting

Randy worked with the Sarawak Tourist Board to create the Rainforest World Music Festival in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, and to create, produce and present a concert of traditional Sarawakian music and dance at the World of Music Exposition (WOMEX) in Marseilles, France in 1997. He also worked as a consultant on Cirque du Soleil's production "Quidam", DNA Multimedia's CD-ROM "The Silk Road", and for numerous Government agencies in Canada and Asia. He worked with Korea Arts Management to assist major Korean artists to develop international tours.

Artistic Direction
Randy was the Artistic Director of the Rainforest World Music Festival, and the Borneo Jazz fesival in Sarawak, Malaysia for a numebr of years. He was the Artistic Director for the nationally televised Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Western Canada Summer Games 1990 and the accompanying Royal Visit of Britain's Prince Edward. He also was the Artistic Director of the Music from the Pacific Horizon Festival series, and has assisted in the selection of artists for a number of festivals in Canada and Asia. 

Lectures
Randy has lectured internationally on the topics of Music, Acoustic Ecology, Psychology and Creativity.  These include the following presentations:  " Korean Music in the International Marketplace", Jeonju, Korea, 2010; "Asian Mouth Organs, Headhunter Music" University of Foreign Studies, Tokyo, 2008, "Thai Instruments in Canadian Music", Payap University, Chiang Mai Thailand, 2004; "Chinese Influences on Contemporary Music", National Conservatory of Music, Beijing, China, 2003; "Music and Tourism", Awesome Africa Symposium, Durban, South Africa, 2001; "Music in Sarawak" for the Chime Conference, Prague, 1999; "World Music as an Educational Tool" NESA Conference, Cairo, Egypt, 1999; "World Music and the Traditions of Sarawak" Sarawak Museum, Kuching, Malaysia, 1997; "World Music Languages" Inter-cultural Music Conference, London, England, 1996; "Endangered Music, Endangered Life" World Soundscape - Tuning of the World Conference, Banff, Canada, 1993; "Contemporary Composition on World Instruments" University of the Philippines, Quezon City, 1987; and "Composition and Performance in North America" Srinakarinwirot University, Mahasarakham, Thailand, 1985.

Artist Support
Randy has acted as a mentor and advisor for emerging artists in World Music for over 30 years. He was a founder of the World Music mentoring programme for B.C. Festival of the Arts. He continues to assist traditional musicians and instrument makers from numerous cultures to maintain and preserve their art, while providing international opportunities to market their works. Recent projects of this nature have taken place in Malaysia, Korea, and Vanuatu. A number of artisits he has worked with have created international careers, some winning numerous awards, including Junos and Grammys.