Bridge to Everywhere
Appearing on
Featuring:
- Derrick Skye – conductor
About
Bridge to Everywhere is a Los Angeles-based transcultural music ensemble and nonprofit arts organization that explores connections between contemporary musical practices from around the world. Founded in 2015, the organization strives to build bridges between instruments, genres, cultures, and people. The ensemble features musically multilingual artists who are classically trained but also have extensive training in musical practices across the globe, from West Africa, India, West Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and beyond.
Bridge to Everywhere fosters cultural collaboration, empathy, and curiosity, and celebrates the richness of our shared human experiences.
“Astounding… a very 21st century approach… an amazing group, a transcultural ensemble… a little bit of everywhere.”
— John Schneider, KPFK
Bridge to Everywhere will perform Jon Armstrong’s Voluntary Breath as well as works by
James Waterman
James Waterman is a multifaceted percussionist, composer, songwriter, and teaching artist based in Los Angeles. James is devoted to the exploration of all areas of percussion and has extensively studied Western Classical percussion, Middle Eastern drumming, Trinidadian Steel Drums, jazz vibraphone, latin percussion, and Indian Classical music. As a composer, James has premiered works with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and Bridge to Everywhere, and also created the original score for Sharine Atif’s award-winning film Jebel Banat (Festival de Cannes and Tribeca Film Festival).
James has performed at such venues and events as SFJAZZ, The Getty Villa, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, NBC’s Today Show, and Boston Court Pasadena. He teaches the Music Technology and Music Education Seminar courses and co-Leads the Mount Bridge Orchestra at Mount Saint Mary’s University.
Ann Southam
Born in Winnipeg, MB, the Canadian composer Ann Southam (1937-2010) is known for both her early tape music and her large-scale cycles for acoustic instruments, especially the piano. She has said that going into the arts was in part a reflection of “growing up gay in the 1950s,” where she could be herself more openly. Influenced by composers such as Steve Reich and Terry Riley, her music often centered around collaborations with specific musicians.
Much of her early piano music was composed for Christina Petrowska-Quilico (Glass Houses and Rivers), while many of her later sets were written for Eve Egoyan (Simple Lines of Enquiry and Pond Life).
One of Canada’s first prominent female composers, Southam’s feminist activism often featured in her music. She often compared the repetitive nature of her minimalist music to the ‘repetitive nature of traditional women’s work,’ such as weaving.
In addition to large-scale acoustic sets, Southam composed many important early tape pieces (beginning in 1969), as well as pieces for various chamber groups, including music written for several dance troupes. She was awarded the Order of Canada, the highest civilian award, in 2010 for her contributions to music.
Derrick Skye (Bridge to Everywhere’s Artistic Director)
Derrick Skye is an acclaimed Los Angeles-based composer and musician known for his transcultural approach to music, integrating various musical practices from cultures around the world into his work with Western classical communities. The Los Angeles Times has described his music as “something to savor” and “enormous fun to listen to,” while The Times (London) has praised Skye’s music as “deliciously head-spinning.”
In addition to his work as a composer, Skye is dedicated to promoting transcultural understanding through music. His mission is to create music that transcends cultural boundaries and bridges communities.
Skye is Artistic Director of Bridge to Everywhere and a member of the Advisory Board of the American Composers Forum. Through his work, Skye demonstrates his belief in the power of music to inspire, connect, and foster dialogue across cultures.
Anna Kouchverov
Anna Kouchnerov is a violinist, composer, and interdisciplinary arts educator based in Massachusetts. Drawing from classical training and diverse global traditions, her work explores the intersections of music, movement, cultural heritage, and connection, with a focus on how the arts foster intergenerational and cross-cultural belonging.
Anna holds a BA in Violin Performance from the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and an MM in Global Jazz from Berklee College of Music, where her research examined musical identity through polycultural exploration. She has performed as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral artist throughout the United States and Europe, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Green Umbrella Series, UCLA Philharmonia, Next Festival for Emerging Artists, Rencontres Musicales Internationales, and ‘Incontri in Terra Di Siena’ Festival. Her work with arts organizations has included the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Monday Evening Concerts, and the Kronos Quartet & Kronos Performing Arts Association. She currently serves as a violinist and composer for Bridge to Everywhere.
In addition to her artistic practice, Anna has taught music extensively in public and charter schools. She now focuses on community programming, designing and facilitating events for teens and young adults living with chronic illness. Across her work as an artist, educator, and administrator she strives to create collaborative spaces where creative practice inspires personal growth and deepens ties within communities.
