WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2006 at 8 PM
Concert generously supported by ACURA
Ravi Shankar, the godfather of Indian music, brings an ensemble of folk musicians, including his daughter, sitarist Anoushka Shankar, and singers to celebrate the core of Indian classical music. The evening includes his own compositions for sitar, Indian Violin, folk drums, wind instruments and the beauty of traditional Indian vocals. The musicians make their Walt Disney Concert Hall debut on April 26 at 8 p.m.
The youngest son of a Bengali family, RAVI SHANKAR was born in 1920 in Varansi (Bernares). At the age of 10, he accompanied elder brother Uday Shankar and his company of dancers and musicians to Paris, where the younger Shankar attended school. He spent several years in the West absorbing different kinds of music before returning to India in 1938 to begin his career. He combined his concert performances with his work for All India Radio (1949-56), where he established the National Chamber Orchestra. A prolific and sought-after composer, Ravi Shankar has written numerous works for Western collaborations, in addition to his many traditional ragas and talas. Concerto for Sitar and Orchestra was commissioned and premiered by the London Symphony Orchestra under Andre Previn. A second sitar concerto, Raga- Mala (A Garland of Ragas), was commissioned and and premiered by the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Zubin Mehta in 1980. Shankar's chamber works for sitar and other instruments includes violin-sitar compositions for the distinguished violinist Yehudi Menuhin and Shankar himself, and works for flute virtuoso Jean-Pierre Rampal, shakuhachi master Hosan Yamamot, and koto virtuoso Musumi Miyashita. Shankar has enjoyed a close relationship with Philip Glass, collaborating with the composer on the 1990 album Passages and the recent multi-artist Orion, which opened the 2004 Cultural Olympiad in Greece. Ravi Shankar's extensive discography of more than 60 albums includes Angel Records' 1996 release In Celebration, a lavishly documented four-CD retrospective of his greatest recordings issued in honor of his 75th birthday, and the 2001 Angel release Full Circle: Carnegie Hall 2000. This was Shankar's first live-concert recording in nearly two decades, for which he received the Grammy award for Best World Music Record. Angel/EMI continues to release Shankar's albums, many of which were previously unavailable on CD.
ANOUSHKA SHANKAR is the only artist in the world to be trained completely by her father and legendary sitar virtuoso and composer, Ravi Shankar. She has been playing and studying the sitar with him since she was nine, and at age 13 she made her performing debut in New Delhi, India. That same year, Anoushka entered the recording studio for the first time to play on her father's recording, In Celebration. Two years later she helped as conductor with her father and dear friend, George Harrison, on the 1997 Angel release, Chants of India. Shortly thereafter she signed an exclusive contract with Angel/EMI Classics. In the fall of 1998 her first solo recording, Anoushka, was released to tremendous critical acclaim. Two albums followed, Anourag in 2000 and Live at Carnegie Hall in 2001. The latter was nominated for a Grammy award in the Best World Music Album category, making her the youngest-ever nominee in that category. She also played sitar on her father's Grammy award-winning album, Full Circle: Carnegie Hall 2000, and has appeared as a sitarist on several other CDs, including Sting's Sacred Love.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, under Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, presents the finest in orchestral and chamber music, recitals, new music, jazz, world music and holiday concerts at two of the most remarkable places anywhere to experience music - Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. In addition to a 30-week winter subscription season at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the LA Phil presents a 12-week summer festival at the legendary Hollywood Bowl, summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and home of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. In fulfilling its commitment to the community, the Association's involvement with Los Angeles extends to educational programs, community concerts and children's programming, ever seeking to provide inspiration and delight to the broadest possible audience.
EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2006, 8:00 PM
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles
RAVI SHANKAR'S FESTIVAL OF INDIA III
RAVI SHANKAR, conductor and sitar
ANOUSHKA SHANKAR, sitar
Performers:
TANMOY BOSE
PARTHO SAROTHY
RAVICHANDRA KULUR
NEYVELI S. RADHAKRISHNA
SWARNIMA GUSAIN
HARI SIVANESAN
PIRASHANNA THEVARAJAH
SANJEEV SHANKAR
ADITYA PRAKASH
KENJI OTA
Concert generously supported by ACURA
Tickets ($15 - $82) are on sale now at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office, online at LAPhil.com, or via credit card phone order at 323.850.2000. When available, choral bench seats ($15) will be released for sale to selected Philharmonic, Colburn Celebrity Recital, and Baroque Variations performances. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office two hours prior to the performance. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person; cash only. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for special discounts for selected concerts and seating areas. For all information, please call 323.850.2000.
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Adam Crane, 213.972.3422; Rachelle Roe, 213.972.7310; Photos: 213.972.3034