Aquiles Navarro and Leonid Galaganov’s collaborative journey weaves together bold improvisation and intricate composition, blending distinct sonic worlds with a shared vision. Their first major collaboration, Bells in Placelessness, is an evocative exploration featuring Navarro’s haunting trumpet and field recordings alongside Galaganov’s prepared piano and fixed media. Together, they craft a soundscape that feels both ethereal and grounded, dissolving boundaries between place and sound.

Their second collaboration, Little Time in Some Detail, composed by Galaganov, showcases Navarro as the trumpet soloist with the Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Susan Deaver. This ambitious work juxtaposes the orchestra’s meticulously crafted narrative—rich with contemporary textures, timbral shifts, and warped perceptions of time—against Navarro’s spontaneous, vibrant improvisations. The piece sets the soloist’s intuitive expression in dynamic counterpoint with the ensemble, creating a dialogue that feels both expansive and intimate. Through these projects, Navarro and Galaganov forge a partnership that thrives on the interplay of structure and freedom.