Christopher Hedge has spent a lifetime immersed in music, gleaning from every source around the globe the elements that together constitute World Music. Through his recording of such luminaries as Chico Freeman and David Grisman, to his collaborations with Congolese master drummer Titos Sompa, legendary flutists Paul Horn and R. Carlos Nakai, the Kronos String Quartet, rocker Neil Young and sessions with numerous unsung virtuosos, Chris Hedge has found his musical expression grow in breadth and depth, incorporating musical forms from North and South America, Africa, Europe and Asia as effortlessly as he switches from piano to kalimba. Some of his music may be drawn from the environment (music is always in the air, if you’re listening for it). Take, for example, the percussive sound of a motorbike passing by on a dirt road in Nepal, or the sounds of birds singing along with the children in an open-air classroom on Beqa Island near Fiji. He characterizes these natural sounds as audio photographs, not “sound effects” or “samples;” as they are a part of the moment and the place that together create the music. Hedge has composed more than 1,000 works, numerous albums and soundtracks. His first album with Paul Horn was nominated for a Grammy. He has performed all over the world, from an opera house in Italy, to a performance for the birthday celebration for the King in Bhutan. He was awarded two Emmys for his soundtrack compositions and performed for the Olympic Winter Games.