WORKSHOPS
We are excited to offer a variety of educational workshops on Indian Classical Music & Dance and world percussion over two days.
ALL WORKSHOPS ARE INCLUDED WITH YOUR TICKET
Immerse yourself in theory, composition, and the art of music. Don't miss out on this opportunity to expand your knowledge and skills!
SAT.
AUGUST 16
'Upasana', a spiritual practice of worship and devotion through Odissi
Sharanya Mukhopadhyay Sekhri
with Guru Sri Pabitra Pradhan
Saturday Aug 16 11am - 11:45am (45mins)
Come and learn about “Odissi – The Sacred Dance”. Srimati Sharanya Mukhopadhyay Sekhri, along with Resident Teacher at Ishwara Dance Academy, Guru Sri Pabitra Pradhan will introduce the origins and history of the Odissi dance form, its symbolic characteristics, and present the meaning of its various gestures and poses. Through a carefully choreographed selection of dances that they will perform, they hope to delineate that beyond entertainment, this classical form can serve as an exercise of elevating ourselves and feel a sense of Upasana, even as a spectator.
Thumri - the classical song of romantic expression.
Vidhushi Tulika Ghosh
Saturday Aug 16 1:30pm - 2:10pm (40 mins)
Evolution, different forms in the genre of Thumri, the role of Tabla in Thumri, Expression (Bhaava) in Thumri. Tulika Ghosh was honed by four traditions: her father and mentor, the Tabla maestro and thinker, Padma Bhushan Pandit Nikhil Ghosh who was also a vocalist of the Kirana Gharana, Pandit Hanuman Prasad Misra, the patriarch of Banaras Gharana, Ustad Khadim Hussain Khan and Ustad Yunus Hussain Khan of Agra-Atrauli Gharana and Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh of Patiala Gharana. Tulika is a scion of four generations of musicians. She is fortunate to have imbibed music from a young age in the constant presence of great musicians who visited their home. She has performed extensively in UK, USA, Paris, Germany, Japan and Bangladesh besides various parts of India.
Korvais in Concert: Carnatic rhythmic compositions in Mrudangam and Melody
Nirmal Narayan
Saturday Aug 16 2:25pm - 3:05 (40 mins)
In Carnatic music, Korvais are an interesting and unique rhythmic element that is common to both percussion (particularly mrudangam) and melody. This workshop will highlight the basic definition and structure of a Korvai, how different Korvais apply to percussion versus melody, how the percussive and melodic artistes understand each other through Korvais, and how the audience can also learn this language of rhythm. Nirmal Narayan is a disciple of Sangita Kalanidhi Dr. Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman. He has performed in renowned sabhas and festivals throughout North America and India, and has received numerous awards, including “Yuva Kala Bharati” from Bharat Kalachar, “Best Concert” from Madras Music Academy, “Best Performer for Mrudangam” from Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha, and the “Azhiyoor Natesa Endowment Prize” from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha. Nirmal has performed with eminent vidwans across generations, including Shri T.N. Krishnan, Dr. N. Ramani, Shri T.V. Sankaranarayanan, Shri T.N. Seshagopalan, Smt. Ranjani and Smt. Gayatri, and Shri Sandeep Narayan, among several others. In addition to his performing career, Nirmal is committed to giving back to the Carnatic music community, as an active teacher and promoter of the arts. He has trained several mrudangam students across the United States, and was selected as “Master Artist” by the Alliance for California Traditional Arts. He currently serves as the President of the South Indian Music Academy in Los Angeles, and as the founder of the music organization, Marakatha, in Seattle.
Anatomy of Khyaal
Samarth Nagarkar
Saturday Aug 16 3:20pm - 4:00pm (40 mins)
Raga music / Khyaal is an esoteric art form. While it is entirely possible to enjoy it as pure art and emotional expression, specialized knowledge of the structural and stylistic elements inhales one's ability to truly appreciate the deeper layers of the music. In this workshop, Samarth Nagarkar and his ensemble will present a curated performance of a raga along with real tine visual commentary projected on a screen, detailing every nuance that is unfolding in the performance. This demonstration will be followed by an interactive Q&A session. Samarth Nagarkar is a virtuoso singer, known for his mastery of Khyal, the preeminent form of Hindustani / North Indian classical vocal music. His performances are noted for their meditative artistry, technical finesse and emotive depth. Samarth has performed at major venues worldwide, including Lincoln Center, LearnQuest Music Conference, and NCPA, Mumbai. Author of the acclaimed book Raga Sangeet, he has several solo and collaborative albums to his credit. As a dedicated educator, he presents lectures, courses and masterclasses at institutions such as NYU, Manhattan School of Music, and Jazz at Lincoln Center. He is a voting member of The Recording Academy (Grammys) and has received prestigious awards like the Excellence in the Arts Award from NAKA. Trained under distinguished gurus Ulhas Kashalkar and Dinkar Kaikini, Samarth’s music represents three traditional gharana styles of Gwalior, Agra, and Jaipur. He is a former scholar of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata.
Mohiniyattam - Dance of the Divine Feminine
Vijayalakshmi
Saturday Aug 16 4:45pm - 5:30pm (45 mins)
Vijayalakshmi will begin the workshop with a brief introduction to the dance form, including its origin, evolution and quintessential spirit. She will then introduce the participants to some basic exercises, which will only focus on the torso and body movements, involving no usage of hands, as an orientation to ease into the characteristic graceful technique of the dance. That will be followed by slightly more complex movements, involving usage of hands and hand gestures, called mudras. She will also touch upon the healing, therapeutic and empowering aspects of Mohiniyattam for women. Vijayalakshmi, is an internationally acclaimed Indian classical dancer of Mohiniyattam, the graceful dance form of South India and is also a choreographer, scholar, speaker, writer, feminist, actress, model and singer. She has been performing for over four decades, at some of the most prestigious venues in India and around the globe including the Bolshoi Theatre, the Edinburgh International Festival and the Lincoln Centre. Vijayalakshmi takes Mohiniyattam to higher levels by constantly exploring uncharted territory and expanding traditional boundaries. She celebrates both Indian and worldwide culture through unique innovative choreography, as evidenced in her work. She co-authored a book on Mohiniyattam along with her legendary mother-guru, Padmashri Bharati Shivaji, released by the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan. She is a recipient of several prestigious awards, including from the Sangeet Natak Academy, Government of India and Regent Scholar from UCLA, given to distinguished professionals around the globe, who have made stellar contributions in their field, including Nobel Laureates. She is the Founder-director of The Mohiniyattam Institute in LA and the artistic director of the Centre for Mohiniyattam, New Delhi.
SUN.
AUGUST 17
Tihai's Unlocked
Vivek Pandya
Sunday Aug 17 11:00am - 11:45am (45 mins)
Give an overview on Tihai structure , constructing tihais in other talas, upaj tihais and more.
Michael Lewis and David Lewis , A Musical Conversation
Michael Lewis & David Lewis
Sunday Aug 17 1:30pm - 2:10pm (40 mins)
This workshop offers a unique insight into the profound impact of Ustad Zakir Hussain, presented by his student and friend, Michael Lewis. Michael will share personal experiences, “gems of wisdom” gleaned over years of learning from Zakirji, and insights into his inclusive teaching style, which embraced the influences of many great tabla maestros. Following this, David Lewis will recount his own cherished memories with Zakirji. The workshop culminates in a special duet by Michael and David, demonstrating the vibrant “musical conversation” that emerges when tabla and Western percussion unite, a concept so passionately championed by Zakirji himself. MICHAEL LEWIS is recognized as one of the finest North American tabla Players today, disciple of Ustad Alla Radha, and long time student of Ustad Zakir Hussain. Michael has accompanied many eminent Indian artists, including Zakir Hussain, Vishal Mohan Bhatt, Krishna Bhatt and Partha Chatterjee. He was invited to join as a member of Zakir Hussain and the Rhythm Experience from 1988 until their last performance in 2006. He is also highly recognized in world music and fusion circles where he has performed with Rajeev Taranath, Terry Riley, George Brooks, Ken Zuckerman, Depak Ram, Krishna Das, David Trasoff, Ty Burhoe, Steve Oda and many other leading artists. He is a long time beloved member of the tabla community, commonly known as “Doc”. Michael first was introduced to Indian Classical Music in 1972 in Berkeley California, taking lessons from Pundit Krishna Bhatt. Over the years, they have performed many times together. His love for tabla took him to India, numerous times, where he lived from 1979-1980 with Pundit Nikhil Banerjee, which was a very cherished time in his musical journey. Besides being an exceptional life long student of tabla, (fifty years), Michael is a physician, and has been working in the San Francisco Bay Area for 35 years in Primary Care. He sides in the Bay Area and Vancouver, B.C.
Seeking Union: Movement, Rasa, and Oneness in Kathak
Shweta Saraswat
Sunday Aug 17 2:25pm - 3:05pm (40 mins)
This workshop aims to open the spiritual heart of Kathak dance. We will explore how the critical elements of classical dance practice lead the dancer and the audience toward a greater sense of oneness with their own bodies and emotions, with each other, and with the divine (under any name). Inspired by the legacy of Lucknow gharana artists, this workshop will focus in particular on the role of shringar rasa---romance, love---in the story of divine union and our own journey as humans towards the same kind of oneness. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Shweta Saraswat is a company performer and board member at the Indian Performing Art Center and faculty member at the Kathak Kala Academy. She received her Ph.D. in Culture and Performance from the department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance at UCLA, where her ethnographic research focused on the relationship between diasporic identity and Kathak dance in Los Angeles and London. She started learning Kathak as a child in 1998 from Guru Rachana Upadhyay, one of the first resident practitioners of Kathak in Los Angeles, and has trained continuously in the Lucknow gharana of Kathak with her ever since. Shweta has presented both her dance work and academic work at venues such as the Getty Museum, the School for Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, Academia Sinica in Taipei, the Dance Studies Association annual conference, UC Santa Cruz, UCLA, UC Riverside, and Cal Arts. Shweta’s original writing on traditional arts and identity has been published in the Journal of American Folklore and the anthology Fifty Contemporary Choreographers by Routledge.
The impact of Tabla on my journey as a percussionist!
Randy Gloss
Sunday Aug 17 3:20pm - 4:00pm (40 mins)
An overview, demonstration and explanation of ideas drawn, applied, synthesized from studying tabla. Highlighting and sharing certain facets and ideas essential to my own work as a drummer/percussionist, composer, and educator, not to mention some of the myriad of other benefits and byproducts of studying tabla. "one of America's great percussion virtuosi" - Percussive Notes, The Journal of the Percussive Arts Society Protégé of percussion vanguard John Bergamo and longtime student of Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri. Regarded for his longstanding work as a catalyst and founding member of the acclaimed percussion group Hands On’Semble, Gloss has also worked with: Ziggy Marley (Grammy winning album Fly Rasta); violinist L. Shankar; pianist Larry Karush; Carlos Niño & Friends; Andre 3000; Linda Perry; Montaigne; Vinny Golia’s Large Ensemble; flautist Nicole Mitchell; Lian Ensemble; Go: Organic Orchestra; and many more; as well as having contributed percussion to numerous film, television, videogame soundtracks, theater productions, and multiple software sample libraries; and has released several albums and published numerous works of solo and ensemble percussion music. Randy teaches at CalArts since 1999. For more information, please visit: www.randygloss.com
What makes a sound from a place?
Chris Votek
Sunday Aug 17 4:45pm - 5:30pm (45 mins)
Explore what makes a sound connected to a place/region/country. Chris explores this vast subject in an interesting and creative way. Chris Votek is an acclaimed cellist, composer, arranger, producer, and sound engineer living and breathing music in Los Angeles. He is a student of the legendary Indian violinist Dr. N Rajam, much of his work involves adapting the oral tradition of Hindustani raga to the cello and the cross-pollination of Western and Indian Classical Traditions. As an intercultural music translator he has arranged symphonic music with Neelamjit Dhillon for Ustad Zakir Hussain, notably his Triple Concerto for Tabla, Bansuri, and Sitar with orchestra premiered by the Symphony of India in 2023. Votek’s original chamber and electro-acoustic compositions have been presented at REDCAT, the Hammer Museum, Clockshop, and SF Soundbox. His string quintet Memories of a Shadow received critical acclaim “superbly blending raga melody with early European polyphony”. A sought after touring and studio cellist, Votek has performed or recorded with Sigur Ros, The Marias, The Silk Road Ensemble, Chris Martin, Father John Misty, WildUp, Julia Holter, and many others. Votek is an active member of many world music and cross cultural ensembles. He is the principal cellist of Nabil Azzam’s Arabic Orchestra MESTO, a member of LA’s chamber orchestra of cultural diversity Bridge to Everywhere, and a collaborator with Iranian singers Homayoun Shajarian and Mamak Khadem.