(Click here to listen to a clipping and see details of the concert to be held on Oct 18, 20, & 21)

Meeting Maestro Zander is always a special experience.  His passion for music always screams loud and clear and succeeds in raising his audience to new heights. Now if Maestro Zander was not reason enough to attend the Boston Philharmonic’s opening season, what about Maestro Zander with Sameer Chatterjee on the Tabla?

Several years ago Joanna Kurkowicz, the Boston Philharmonic’s long-time concertmistress and a passionate advocate for new music, commissioned a violin concerto from Indian composer Shirish Korde. The work which resulted, composed partly in collaboration with Kurkowicz, was Svara-Yantra. It is a remarkable concerto for violin, tabla, and orchestra, in which the style of violin playing that can be heard from some of the great Indian classical violin masters, such as L. Subramaniam, is adapted to the western technique of playing the instrument. Likewise, the melodies, which have their basis in ragas, are deeply expressive, ranging from inward meditation to ecstatic affirmation, and are, from a western point of view, highly unconventional in form and rhythm. The elaborate part for tabla is almost a concerto in itself, and will be played by the renowned Samir Chatterjee. Svara-Yantra will be receiving its American premiere at these concerts.

For Conductor Benjamin Zander this is his first experience with Indian music. “I very excited" says Zander. "Svara Yantra is a beautiful combination of Western and Indian musical expression. We begin with the Drone box (electronic Tanpura) and open with an Alaap in Raga Misra Pilu. Unlike an alaap, we have a western style recapitulation to end the movement. In the second movement Samir Chatterjee joins us on the Tabla. Sameer is brilliant and I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to conduct this piece.” What does he think of the blend of western music with Indian classical music? “There is a long tradition of importing influences from other styles of music into western classical music. I strongly believe that no music should be monochromatic. Diversity should not need to give anything up but rather to add more to it and Svara Yantra is a perfect example” says Zander

For Joanna Kukowicz it is one of the most challenging and exciting projects that she has ever done.  Being very alert to the Tabla is a new experience as was the learning of all the ornamentation and slides (Gamakas). Why did she conceive this project? “I met Shirish and liked his work very much and hence used the opportunity to create Svara Yantra” says Joanna. Was it difficult to play Indian music? “Yes. I had to learn a new way of playing. I loved creating the Cadenzas. I do have to go out of my regular violinist skin to play this music”

Prof Shirish Korde is primarily an award winning western classical composer who grew up in East Africa.  He studied at the New England Conservatory and the Berklee College of Music. While doing his PhD in ethnomusicology at Brown he studied Tabla and Sitar for nearly seven years.  “Since I am musically bi-lingual it was easy for me to create a composition like Svara Yantra” says Korde. Was it difficult to work with musicians who are used to one system? “Yes. I had to work hard with the Indian musicians to help them understand musical notation. Many of them believe Indian music cannot be notated which is not at all true.I have been succesful in notating Indian music. Convincing Indian musicians to stick to the composition while giving them an opportunity to improvise is always a challenge. It is also difficult to help some western musicians look at new ideas from Indian classical music. But people like Sameer Chatterjee , Joanna Kurkowicz and others are wonderful and make my job easy”  

“Could you please convey my passion and excitement about this opening performance featuring not just Svara Yantra but two other absolutely marvelous pieces, Ginastera’s  Variaciones concertantes
and Musorgsky’s  Pictures at an Exhibition to your readers? ” says Maestro Zander. Lokvani is fulfilling the promise we made to the maestro to convey his message and give his personal invitation to Lokvani readers! We hope novice readers will take this opportunity to have an easy introduction to western classical music. For the experts this concert will be a delight.

(Click here to listen to a clipping and see details of the concert to be held on Oct 18, 20, & 21)

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