3 Leg Torso November 13, 2010

As principal composers, founding members Bela Balogh (on violin and trumpet) and Courtney Von Drehle (on accordion) provide the core of 3 Leg Torso's sound. They are joined by veteran percussionist/mallet player Gary Irvine, the consummate mallets/percussion of T. J. Arko and the fiery Michael Papillo.

The bands history began with street performances, which they titled "Meestering," and has led to their releasing two CDs (3 Leg Torso and Astor in Paris), East Coast and West Coast tours, performances with symphony orchestras and a profile on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered."

The cinematic nature of their music has made it a natural for them to work with many independent film makers. These collaborations have included scoring The Dowager's Feast and The Dowager's Idyll, two films by Academy Award winning animator Joan Gratz; scoring With Hope and Help, a United Nations funded documentary on AIDS in Thailand; the piece Divertissements for Performing Bears being used as theme music for a Bosnian television series. In 2003, Von Drehle was awarded a Fellowship at the Sundance Film Composers Lab.

Twice the band has been commissioned by the Portland Institute of Contemporary Art to create new evening length works, most recently involving a collaboration with David Greenberger, the originator of The Duplex Planet.

Official Website: http://www.142throckmortontheatre.org