Classical Confluence
Classical Confluence
20 October 2024, 6.30pm
Beeja presents an evening of music featuring:
Jonathan Mayer and Dhanraj Persaud from zerOclasikal
Divyanand Caird from Brhaddhvani
and Preetha Narayanan, Giuliano Modarelli and Harkiret Singh
sszerOclassikal
zerOclassikal presents an exciting performance featuring renowned sitarist Jonathan Mayer and tabla maestro Dhanraj Persaud Pandey.
Jonathan Mayer is a celebrated sitarist, composer, and Artistic Director of zerOclassikal. With a rich career spanning performances worldwide in countries such as France, Germany, Russia, India, and the USA, Jonathan blends Indian classical music with genres like jazz and symphonic music. He is the son of the legendary composer John Mayer and has performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Kuljit Bhamra, and more.
Dhanraj Persaud Pandey is a rising star in the Indian classical music scene. A talented tabla player and vocalist, he has performed extensively across the UK and is known for his dynamic performances.
Founded in 2013, zerOclassikal is a platform dedicated to exploring new frontiers in South Asian classical music through experimentation and contemporary perspectives. It commissions new work and fosters a dialogue between traditional and modern forms.
zerOclassikal
The zerOclassikal project was set up in 2013 as platform for a radical approach to south Asian classical music – facilitating progressions, experiments, and developments in the genre, through a ‘contemporary’ mindset.
Commissioning of new work and organizing the frequency of performance is zerOclassikal’s central mission and activity.
The project is also setting up infrastructures for an industry for next-gen south Asian classical musicianship, trained in the UK – such as building of a touring circuit, agency and recording label.
Brhaddhvani
Saraswati Vina performance by Divyanand Caird and Rishikesh Ramesh on Mridangam
The performance will cover a few compositions by composers spanning from the 17th to 19th century AD. The compositions will include improvised sections in the performance.
Divyanand Caird plays the ancient lute-like Saraswati Veena of South India. His blend of mastery and enthusiasm enables him to bring the rich tones of his instrument with its idiosyncratic ornamentation to any musical mix.
Divyanand is a professional South Indian (Carnatic) Classical musician of the Saraswati Veena based in London. He hails from an Indo-Scottish Heritage. He is a prime student of Veena maestro Dr. Karaikudi S. Subramanian, a ninth generation musician from the illustrious Karaikudi Veena Tradition and founder of Brhaddhvani.
Divyanand has extensively toured North America and Europe with his guru. He has been a faculty and cultural coordinator at the research institute Brhaddhvani since 2010 and has supported the Veena craftsmen and curated several music festivals in Chennai. His interests also extend to cross-cultural collaborations with world musicians, Ethnomusicology, sound engineering, archiving music & heritage.
The Saraswati Vina (South Indian Lute) is a traditional Indian stringed instrument from the lute family which has written historical references dating back to approximately 1700 BCE. The Vina is the oldest and most important instrument in Karnatak Music which is closest to the human voice capable of producing all the intricacies required in this musical genre.
Brhaddhvani Global Centre for Music was started in 2017 by London based Indian Classical musician Divyanand Caird, who is one of the prime disciples of Vina maestro Dr. Karaikudi S. Subramanian, a ninth generation musician from the illustrious Karaikudi Vina Tradition.
Brhaddhvani is a centre for excellence in music education, utilizing the ground breaking COMET (Correlated Objective Music Education and Training) method developed by Prof. Karaikudi Subramanian. The organisation has been actively curating live concerts and workshops to promote artists both professional and young talent in the South East.
Preetha Narayanan, Giuliano Modarelli and Harkiret Singh Bahra
Three accomplished and versatile musicians, Preetha Narayanan (violin), Giuliano Modarelli (guitar), and Harkiret Singh Bahra (tabla) come together to present an intimate Indian classical set with a contemporary folk-twist. A vibrant set celebrating Indian Classical music, Folk, and the spaces in between. Expect to hear lush melodies, intricate rhythms, heavy grooves, and free-wheeling improvisations.
Preetha Narayanan is a violinist, composer, and educator with a unique musical story that crosses countries, cultures, and genres. Merging Western and Indian Classical training with a wide range of influences from her collaborations, she is sought after for her unique and distinctive sound. Preetha has performed internationally with notable artists including Anoushka Shankar, Nitin Sawhney, Talvin Singh OBE, Kae Tempest, and Jocelyn Pook, amongst others. More recently, Preetha has been composing works for orchestra and ensembles, and touring her own work. She is also the co-founder of genre-defying string duo Balladeste (“…an extraordinary and beautiful listening experience” Folk Radio UK) who write and perform original music.
Giuliano Modarelli, a jazz guitarist, composer, and producer, blends deep respect for tradition with an experimentalist mindset. Balancing reverence for Indian classical and folk traditions with innovative exploration, he crafts a unique musical tapestry. Embracing an internationalist ideology, Modarelli seeks to create a new musical language that transcends borders and inspires collaboration. He has collaborated with notable artists such as Talvin Singh, Nitin Sawhney, Shankar Mahadevan, Mysore Manjunath, Bill Laurance, Pete Locket, Sarathy Korwar, Jason Singh, Sidi Larbi and many others.
Harkiret Singh Bahra (tabla) is a sensitive yet dynamic performer with fine art technique to showcase. Grounded in Indian Classical repetoire, he draws artistic flair from his teachers: Giani Gian Singh Surjit, Giani Gurbachan Singh Hamdardh, Ustad Harkirat Singh Rayatt and taleem from the Late Guru Acharya Pandit Shankar Ghosh.
