Intuitive Music Orchestra

Moscow-based musician Ian Bederman directs the Intuitive Music Orchestra, an improvisation-driven world music endeavor launched in 2002. Bederman steers the IMO toward an entirely unrestricted musical approach that grants every participant unrestricted freedom to develop a personal artistic identity and define their contribution to the collective. Because performances and recordings occur without prior preparation, each event emerges as a singular occurrence. The ensemble draws its sonic resources from multiple cultural lineages, employing rubap, English horn, saxophones, flutes, gongs, fretless bass, didgeridoo, numerous percussion instruments, and the human voice. Bederman’s emphasis on human interdependence and harmonious coexistence brought him an award from the Worldwide Charitable Alliance, which named him “Peacemaker of the Year” in 2006. The IMO produced an extensive body of recorded work in rapid succession; by the time Be Careful! The Doors Are Opening appeared in 2007, four additional albums had already been issued within the same four-year span. The release received widespread support from Europe’s world-music audience and ranked among the year’s most successful experimental recordings.