Larry Karpenko Soars to New Heights with the Emotionally Stirring and Spiritually Resonant “The River”
- STAFF
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
By: Staff
An awe-inspiring masterwork of tenderness, clarity, and grace from the incomparable Larry Karpenko.
We didn’t think there was still room to be more awed by Larry Karpenko, but “The River” proves once again that his creative well runs deeper than expected. This latest release doesn’t just showcase his artistry; it lifts it to new heights. There’s a soaring beauty in every note, a sense of something rising from within and reaching beyond. His music doesn’t perform for attention; it moves with purpose, taking listeners somewhere meaningful. And what also makes it so powerful is the way it feels both intimate and infinite, born of one man’s experience yet open enough for all to enter.
Right from the first measures, “The River” draws breath like a living being. The opening orchestration is soft-spoken but stirring, with a gentle touch of strings that sets the tone for reflection. It doesn’t rush. It opens slowly, like morning light filtering through trees, and becomes the perfect space for Karpenko’s voice to emerge. When he begins to sing, it feels less like a performance and more like an expression of love. Each phrase is delivered with grace, softness, and deep emotional clarity. There’s tenderness in his breath, a restrained intensity in his tone, and above all, a quiet conviction that pulls you in. His delivery feels rooted in something higher. A love that doesn’t need to be named is unmistakably present.
Then come the words:
“I have the place where I can run to and hide from this world outside where I don’t pretend.”
That line stops you. The honesty, the vulnerability, it lands hard. You immediately sense that this song is more than melody and lyrics. It’s memory, healing, and a kind of offering.
Karpenko draws from his first year of college, spent near the Shenandoah River, a place that became a refuge during a season of change. That river, with its quiet strength and unending flow, becomes the symbolic heart of the track. By sharing his connection to that landscape, he allows listeners to find their own. A personal haven, a place to let go. And what follows is not just a recounting but a transformation of memory into sound, a conversion of peace into music.
Karpenko’s personal character shines through it all. His good-hearted nature and willingness to create from a place of sincerity are part of what makes him such a rare artist. He’s not interested in the spotlight or spectacle. He’s offering a connection. Through this song, he invites listeners to feel reborn, not in a loud way, but in the quiet turning of spirit, the return to something pure. That kind of selfless artistry is where the beauty lives.
As the song builds, his soft vocals evolve into extended, soaring notes that never feel forced. They stretch like the river itself: steady, expansive, impossible to ignore. There’s a calm power to them, and that resonance becomes as tangible as the water he sings about.
The decision to anchor the entire arrangement around his voice is what gives the track its focus. It’s not about crowding the sound with layers; it’s about letting the core message breathe. His vocal control is remarkable, but it’s the intention behind it that blesses each moment. This isn’t just talent. Its purpose is shared through sound.
Then the instrumentation lifts, and the emotional contour of the piece deepens. Harp and piano provide a quiet foundation, while orchestral percussion adds fullness. The entrance of brass during the hymn section brings a sense of reverence, building the track’s emotional peak with grace. Layer by layer, the arrangement blossoms. When handbells chime in the finale, symbolizing steeple bells in a town waking to light, it’s a moment of return, of joy, of completion. Each choice feels intentional. Every instrument plays its part in the whole. None overpowers the others.
And when the choir enters, the air shifts. It’s not just musical reinforcement; it’s spiritual texture. Their presence swells the emotion without overwhelming it, lending a weightless quality to the climax. Together, they deliver one of the song’s most striking moments:
“That flows by the throne of God.”
Karpenko’s delivery here is nothing short of stunning. He sings it not with force, but with reverence. It’s not about drama. It’s about love. A love so clear, so warm, that it radiates through the speakers. You feel it. You believe it. You’re held by it.
By the final note, it’s hard not to feel changed. “The River” isn’t simply a song. It’s an emotional passage, a slow revelation of beauty, healing, and presence. Larry Karpenko has created something not only exquisite but necessary. It’s a message, wrapped in sound, that reminds us how music can be a vessel of peace. And we are grateful to be carried by it.
“The River” by Larry Karpenko is a transcendent, emotionally charged masterpiece of sincerity and vocal brilliance
Larry Karpenko brings a rare kind of integrity to his work: humble yet deeply focused, personal yet broadly resonant. Rather than chase trends, he builds his music around meaning. “The River” is a reflection of that approach, and it couldn’t have been realized without the contributions of a few key collaborators. Charles Reid, an opera singer and Associate Professor at Andrews University, encouraged Karpenko to push the piece further and helped shape its vocal strength. Adriana Perera, a respected worship arts leader from Loma Linda University Church, transcribed the score with precision and brought it into form for orchestral presentation. Both brought not only skill but emotional sensitivity to the vision.
The inspiration behind the song goes deeper than craft. Karpenko wrote “The River” during his first year of college, drawing on the quiet of the Shenandoah River near the Massanutten Mountains, a place tied to peace and personal clarity. His experiences there shaped not only the mood but the metaphor of the song. Drawing influence from Steven Curtis Chapman’s “In This Little Room,” he channeled a similar desire to create something grounded in spirit and connection. The themes of flowing love, emotional shelter, and inward restoration emerged naturally from that backdrop.
The recording took place at Kreation Records in Loma Linda, California, a studio known for its collaborative atmosphere. One of the most moving moments during production came when Karpenko first heard the choir recorded, made up of members from his local church. Overwhelmed by their performance, he was brought to tears, struck by how their voices completed the vision he had carried in his heart for so long.
That emotional depth is now moving into a live setting. Karpenko will premiere “The River” on May 17, 2025, at Loma Linda University Seventh-day Adventist Church, where the full orchestral arrangement will be performed with choir, brass, and handbells. It’s more than a concert. It’s a celebration of what music can become when it's born from truth.
We’re so excited to have found him and can’t wait to hear more from Larry Karpenko!
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