Home > Events > Sarod Concert by Rajeev Taranath

Sarod Concert by Rajeev Taranath

Presented by SPICMACAY

Sunday, May 20, 2007
5:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Tom Bradley International Hall
University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA United States

SPICMACAY

Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture amongst Youth

presents

NAVODAYA

An Indian Classical Instrumental Concert (Hindustani)

by Sarod Maestro Rajeev Taranath

Accompanied by Abhiman Kaushal (Tabla)

 

NOTE: Lecture-Demonstration on Monday, 21 May 2007  - 4pm, Gamelan Room, 1659 Schoenberg Bldg., UCLA

 

Rajeev Taranath is an internationally acclaimed performer and is one of the leading exponents of the Sarod. A distinguished disciple of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, he has also received training from his father Pandit Taranath and other eminent musicians.

His distinctive musicianship demonstrates striking imaginative power, technical excellence and emotional range. He is respected for the clarity of musical understanding which he brings to the unfolding of a raga and the beauty of the tone he evokes from the sarod. His performances masterfully combine the depth and rigor of the tradition of Hindustani classical music with an inspired imagination and emotional intensity.

Dr. Taranath's credentials as a teacher are as impressive as his track record as an artist. He was a Ford Foundation scholar (1989 to 1992) and researched during this period on the Teaching Techniques of the Maihar-Allauddin Gharana. From 1995-2005 he was a member of the music department faculty at the prestigious California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles, California.

ABOUT THE INDIAN SAROD

The instruments of Indian classical music fall into two main categories: those that carry the main melody and those that accompany. Of the many melodic instruments, the most prominent are the plucked lutes, sitar and sarod in the north and vina in the south.

In terms of prominence and popularity among connoisseurs of Hindustani music, the sarod is second only to the sitar. It has been made famous around the world by artists such as Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.

The conventional Sarod has 18 to 19 strings - 4 to 5 main ones, one or two drone strings, two chikari strings and ten to eleven sympathetic strings.The lack of frets and the tension of the strings make it very technically demanding to play, as the strings must be pressed hard against the fingerboard. There are two schools of sarod playing. One involves using the tip of one's fingernails to stop the strings; certain strength and stiffness of the fingernails is a prerequisite for accuracy of pitch. The other uses a combination of the nail and the fingertip to stop the strings against the fingerboard. The technique which uses the fingernails produces a ringing tone, while the fingertip technique produces a flatter tone.

ABOUT SPICMACAY

SPICMACAY is a movement formed to help disseminate the best of India's and the world's classical heritage with their attendant legends, rituals, mythology and philosophy in educational institutions. It seeks to conserve and promote an awareness of this rich and heterogeneous cultural tapestry amongst the youth through focus on the classical arts, and to facilitate an awareness of their deeper and subtler values. The UCLA chapter of SPICMACAY is a non-profit voluntary student group.

Cost: Admission is FREE.

Special Instructions

Please register at http://www.internationalcenter.ucla.edu/ (Under Special Events). Directions: Exit Wilshire Blvd from 405. East on Wilshire, towards Westwood. Left on Westwood Blvd, continue to parking info, park at Lot 8 on Strathmore.

Tel: 310 435 0650
spcmacay@ucla.edu
http://www.studentgroups.ucla.edu/spicmacay/

Sponsor(s): Funded by Campus Programs Committee of the Programs Activities Board; Co-Sponsored by Dashew International Center for Students and Scholars.