Angela Sheikholeslami and Larisa Forest are two musicians who didn’t listen to much popular music growing up. It is no use mentioning names of mainstream musicians from 1900 - 1990 to them. However, this naivety has helped them to discover their own unique sound; creative and beautifully uncanned.

Imaginatively using their piano, instrumental and vocal skills, these singer/songwriters continue to derive a unique and provoking sound. Ange&Ris’s original music runs the gamut from bold, dramatic, and feisty to melancholic and introspective. Their fearless experimentation with different sounds, chords, and moods helps to deliver a program of intensity and variety. Guided by their classical training, influenced by the sounds of Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan and Fiona Apple, they easily transition from blues to Beethoven. They enjoy a constant interchange of instruments, including flute, 2-voice harmony, keyboard and percussion. Elements of jazz, folk and trance meet musical theatre and classical structure.

One of Ange&Ris’ goals is to communicate content that is intense, rich in imagery, challenging and thought-provoking (they have vowed never to rhyme “love” with “above” or “maybe” with “baby.”) They aspire to match quality music with lyrical depth and insight.

Ange and Ris focus mainly on performing in the Philadelphia and Wilmington area. Always on the lookout for new venues, they can be seen regularly at local hotspots performing and enjoying other original musicians. These two feel comfortable performing in many settings, whether garnishing a formal wedding or event, or adding their own flavor to a local open mike.