The orchestra, founded by the Amsterdam based Brazilian saxophonist Yedo Gibson has different types of expertise and voices from a diversity of cultures and various genres including baroque music, punk rock, jazz and electronics. But they all share a passion for improvisation. During 6 years of intensive rehearsing and performing the orchestra has developed its own language and has a unique voice and way of making music.This is an extraordinary feat for such a large ensemble, since RIO's music is never chaotic or amorphous. The musicians all have a great sense of form and shape. The band makes clever use of contrasts: electronics in combination with ancient instruments (baroque winds and strings), jazz as well as rock elements, huge variations in dynamics (from deafeningly loud to an almost imperceptible whisper). Sometimes the roaring saxes may emerge from the churning primeval mass, but there is also room for the quiet sounds of a recorder or a baroque bassoon as well as surprising samples and electronics. Because of the presence of these 'classical' instruments the music sometimes leans in this direction, but it may also blast into free jazz/punk/noise hurricanes.

The musicians of RIO are Marcos Baggianni (drums), John Dikeman (sax), Alfredo Genovesi (guitar), Yedo Gibson (sax, clarinet), Jose Gomes (baroque bassoon), Marie Guilleray (voice), James Hewitt (baroque violin), Onno Govaert (drums), Oscar Jan Hoogland (piano), Ofir Klemperer (computer), Renato Ferreira (double bass), Felicity Provan (trumpet), Sandra Pujols (voice), Mikael Szafirowski (guitar). RIO is part of Tumult a new collective of improvised music bands and musicians based in Amsterdam.

with Alfredo Genovesi, May 2012, Cerkno Festival, Slovenia, photo by Ziga Koritnik