| 2 April 2017 4pm Jugalbandhi Concert featuring Kala Ramnath (Hidustani Vioilin) and Anuradha Sridhar (Carnatic Violin) accompanied by Abhijit Banerjee (Tabla) and Shriram Brahmanandam (mridangam) 7.30pm Ustad Shahid Parvez (Sitar) and Pt. Abhijit Banerjee (Tabla) Venue: Crystal Cove Auditorium, 4113 Pereira Dr, UCI Student Center, Irvine, CA 92617 THE ARTISTES Ustad Shaihd Parvez Khan  Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan descends from six generations of sitarists. He is one of the leading exponents of the Etawah Gharana, a musical tradition or "family" committed to this most famous of Indian instruments. He was trained by his father and guru, Ustad Aziz Khan. At the age of three Ustadji began his apprenticeship in this musically cloistered environment. It would be some years before Ustadji was allowed to pick up a sitar however, being first trained in the classical vocal music that forms the foundation of the "gayaki ang" -- a style of sitar which transfers the emotional directness and tonal nuance of the human voice to the instrument. Ustadji's music is novel and evolving, but his influences are numerous and easily recognizable to a knowing ear. The fine balance of traditionalism and innovation of an Ustad Vilayat Khan, the palatial structure and spiritual depth of an Ustad Amir Khan, and the dazzling brilliance and musical imperatives of an Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan are all marvelously present in Ustadji's performances. Ustadji also remains open to good music wherever he hears it. shahidparvezkhan.com/ Pt. Abhijit Banerjee  Considered among the top class of tabla players from India, Abhijit Banerjee is one of the most sought after creative artists in the realm of Indian classical music. With nearly 20 years of professional experience, Abhijit has crafted a unique style and creative approach which has brought him accolades and awards throughout the world for his sensitivity, skill and deep sense of musicality. Apart from his contributions to Indian music he has delved into a diverse variety of world music crossover as both a performer and composer. Abhijit started learning Tabla at a very tender age, and won prizes at National level. He is an "A" grade artiste of All India Radio for over eight years. Abhijit has toured extensively all over the globe accompanying stalwart artistes, such as Pandit Ravi Shankar, Late Pandit Nikhil Banerjee, Pandit Jasraj, to name a few as well as performed solo. Abhijit has collaborated with acclaimed world musicians such as Ry Cooder, Larry Coryell, Badal Roy, Trilok Gurtu. Abhijit has scored music for Documentary and telefilms. Abhijit's own performing group, TARANG, a talented ensemble has enjoyed roaring success. He has formed Dhwani Academy, a school that specializes in Indian percussion, which has branches in India, Los Angeles, New York and London (UK). Dhwani Academy is involved in a lot of community work and attracts students from all over the world. abhijitbanerjee.com/ Kala Ramnath  Born into a family of prodigious musical talent, which has given Indian music such violin legends as Prof. T.N. Krishnan and Dr. N. Rajam, Kala's genius with the violin manifested itself during her childhood. Recognizing her innate talent, her astute grandfather, Vidwan A. Narayan Iyer took her under his tutelage. Thus began her journey on the road to astounding renown and acclaim worldwide. She then went on to become a pre-eminent disciple of the legendary vocalist Pandit Jasraj. During this mentorship Kala revolutionized the violin technique and produced a sound so unique, evocative and akin to classical Indian vocal music that today her violin is called 'The Singing Violin'. Today a virtuoso of staggering proportions, Kala has performed at all the major music festivals in India, as well as the most prestigious stages throughout the world, including the Sydney Opera House, London's Queen Elizabeth Hall and New York's Carnegie Hall to name a few. Kala is a sought after artist to work and experiment with orchestras like the London Symphony and London Philharmonic and world music legends like Ustad Zakir Hussain, Kai Eckhart, Edgar Meyer, Bela Fleck, Terry Bozzio, Abbos Kossimov, Ayrto Moriera, Giovanni Hidalgo and rock legend Ray Manzarek of the Doors to name a few. Along with being a stellar performer, Kala is also a sought after teacher. She regularly lectures and conducts workshops all around the world. A few worth mention here are the Rotterdam Conservatory of Music in Netherlands, University of Giessen in Germany and the Weill Institute in association with the Carnegie Hall in New York. An established name in the world music scene, Kala today is keen to enrich the lives of under-privileged and sick children through music in the form of her foundation, 'Kalashree'. kalaramnath.com/ Anuradha Sridhar  Anuradha Sridhar is the daughter and disciple of the violin maestro Lalgudi Srimathi Brahmanandam, the reputed sister and violin duo partner of violin virtuoso Lalgudi G. Jayaraman. Groomed in a milieu that traces its roots back to the most significant Carnatic composer of all time, Saint Thyagaraja, the strains of music have been handed down in Anuradha's family like a precious heirloom, from generation to generation. Her grandfather, Lalgudi Gopala Iyer, was an innovative teacher and a versatile musician. Her brother Shriram Brahmanandam is a versatile mridangam artist. Among the South Indian classical music aficionados of the San Francisco Bay Area, Anuradha is synonymous with purity, rigor and refinement. As a tireless teacher, performer and ambassador for Carnatic Music, Anuradha envisioned her music school, Trinity Center for Music, a few months after she moved to the Bay Area in 1989. Shriram Brahmanandam  Shriram Brahmanandam was initiated into the mridangam by the renowned guru Harihara Sharma and later continued his training with C.V.Kuppuswami. He completed advanced training from the percussion stalwart Kumbakonam Rajappa Iyer. Shriram has won awards for "Best Mrudangist" during the music concert series held in the Indian Fine Arts Society and in the Youth Association for Classical Music. He has performed extensively in India and abroad including the annual Cleveland Carnatic Festival and at the Lincoln Center in New York. He has also performed drum fusion concerts with celebrated western drummers Anandan Sivamani, and Anthony Brown. A prolific composer, Shriram zealously looks for opportunities to create new rhythmic compositions (mohras and korvais). Shriram translates his passion for the mridangam into articulate, riveting lecture-demonstration sessions ('The Art of Mridangam Accompaniment') held around the Bay Area. Shriram's style of accompaniment, vibrant and energetic as it is, never ceases to complement and glorify the main artist. His exquisite grasp of melodic nuances and his tonal excellence have won him praise from both peers and seniors in the musical world. |
