DISCOUNT TICKETS! THE MUSIC ROOM FESTIVAL - A Tribute to Pt. Ravi Shankar in NYC! April 5, 6 & 7

 THE MUSIC ROOM FESTIVAL

"A Tribute to Pandit Ravi Shankar"

FRIDAY APRIL 5, SATURDAY APRIL 6 

& SUNDAY APRIL 7, 2013
When HarmoNYom teams up with Rubin Museum of Art 

to present one of the most unique and exceptional Indian Classical Music Festival in NYC!

The Music Room Festival, 

a tribute to late legendary Pandit Ravi Shankar, is hosted by HarmoNYom at one of the most intimate venues in New York, the Rubin Museum of Art! This amazing and original festival celebrates the richness and heritage of Indian Classical Music. Six maestros from South Asia have been invited to play in six different styles for what are sure to be six unique and unforgettable performances! At the Music Room Festival, they will evoke the Baithak, one of South Asia's most revered traditions. Just as centuries-old paintings depict, participants will gather cozily around visiting musicians for informal talks and intimate performances, offering a free and open exchange between artist and audience!

The entire line up of musicians is outstanding:

- Friday April 5, 6:30 PM 

Pt. Tarun Bhattacharya - Santoor 

Nitin Mitta - Tabla

- Saturday April 6, 11 AM 

Pt. Kaivalyakumar - Vocals 

Nitin Mitta - Tabla 

Kedar Naphade - Harmonium

- Saturday April 6, 2:30 PM

Snehasish Mozumder - Mandolin 

Aditya Kalyanpur - Tabla

- Saturday April 6, 6 PM

Kanika Pandey - Vocals 

Anirban Roy Chowdhury - Tabla 

Ramchandra Joshi - Harmonium

- Sunday April 7, 11 AM 

Pt. Rajeev Taranath - Sarod 

Aditya Kalyanpur - Tabla

- Sunday April 7, 2:30 PM 

Ud. Shahid Parvez Khan - Sitar 

Subhajyoti Guha - Tabla 

Venue:
Rubin Museum of Art 150 West 17 Street (6/7 Ave), New York, NY 10011

Tickets*: 25% DISCOUNT TICKETS
Apply code DEVI online or by phone

- Individual concerts ($30 to $45 VIP): 

Purchase tickets online or call 212.620.5000 ext. 344
Reserve your seat now & save $70 for the package for all six concerts! 

- Priority Series VIP Pass $240 (6 concerts) - reserved first row seating! 

- Regular Series Pass $180 (6 concerts)

 

*All tickets include admission to all six concerts and Rubin Museum exhibitions

More details: www.harmonyom.org

 www.rmanyc.org/musicroom

Image: Woman with sitar, Tanjore Painting, Crafts Museum, New Delhi, India

Photo courtesy of Pt. Ravi Shankar by Jay Mandal /On Assignment

About! The Dhrupad Mela in Varanasi - India

Vedic Music Comes Alive at the Dhrupad Mela in Varanasi 

By MakeMyTrip - Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 12:00PM 

 

In March this year when Spring is decidedly here, scores of musicians, singers and performers will congregate at the Tulsi ghat in the holy city of Varanasi for a very unique event – the Dhrupad Mela. Held annually in praise of Dhrupad, one of the oldest forms of Hindustani classical music to have survived in its original form, this melodious festival of Varanasi is well attended and very popular with aficionados of Indian traditional music. A trip to Varanasi during the Dhrupad Mela will prove worthwhile for anyone who wants to delve deeper into the nuances of Indian traditional music in the hopes of finding a rare gem.

Dhrupad indeed is precious and valuable in that it has remained unchanged since the Vedic times, when it was the accompanying music to the chanting of Vedic hymns and mantras. Dhrupad was the music at the royal courts of the Mughals and Swami Haridas, the Emperor of Music and Tansen’s guru, was an accomplished Dhrupad singer. With such history lending it weight, it is truly amazing that Dhrupad has survived at all. But musical families like the Dagars and scores of dedicated singers and musicians have ensured that Dhrupad stays alive and the Dhrupad Mela in Varanasi is a step in that direction. The festival dates this year are from March 8 to 10. Read on to know more about this enduring musical tradition.

What is Dhrupad?

A vocal tradition in Hindustani classical music, Dhrupad means ‘fixed words’ and is sung in a prosodic meter. It has its roots in Nada Yoga and in that sense, is music of meditation and making offerings to the divine through music. It is superlative in its aesthetics and is sung to melodious instruments like pakhawaj, tanpura and rudra veena. Dhrupad singers draw lyrics from religious and spiritual poetry as well as romance. A Dhrupad performance usually comprises a lead singer and a small chorus of one or two others as well as instrumentalists. While at the Dhrupad festival in Varanasi, the one thing that is bound to enthrall you the most are the alaps taken by the singers – holding notes for considerable lengths of time.

The Rationale

One of the biggest reasons for holding the Dhrupad Mela is to provide a sustained and prominent platform for Dhrupad singers and instrumentalists to showcase their talent. The Varanasi festival attracts huge crowds to its ‘dawn to dusk’ concerts and with a number of foreign tourists attending; it has also ensured Dhrupad goes beyond Indian shores. Even more importantly, the Dhrupad Mela finds continued presence in mainstream Indian classical music and it can live on instead of teetering at the edge of extinction. 

Why should I be there?

If you are a music lover constantly looking for something new or something unusual then finding a place that celebrates the music of easier, unhurried times is both an exceptional experience and a rarity. The festival in Varanasi is sure to give you a transcendental musical experience unparalleled by any other. Hear great Dhrupad singers like Pt. Prem Kumar Mallick, Sukhdev Chaturvedi, Pt. Ramashish Pathak, Pt. Kartik Kumar, Fayaz Wasifuddin Dagar and Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar – the greatest proponents of Dhrupad.

How to travel with MakeMyTrip to Varanasi - India