Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Journeys in Sound event this Saturday night at 8pm at Arts at the Armory Cafe
Utsav Lal & Çeşni Duo: Hindustani & Ottoman Music Explorations with a special opening set by Sylvie Leys
Saturday, May 20, 2017 @ 8pm
Arts at the Armory Cafe 191 Highland Ave. Somerville
At 24 yrs of age, pianist Utsav Lal is a musician extraordinaire who has set a precedent in the world of music with his rendition of Ragas on the Piano.
Choosing to perform on an instrument that has traditionally been considered unsuitable for Hindustani Classical Music, Utsav’s innovative handling of a raga blends his diverse musical influences and has left listeners spellbound. His soulful renditions in traditional Alap jod jhala style are expressed with simplicity, sincerity and depth and have won him fans in every corner of the world.
Bestowed with the unique title of “Raga Pianist”, the musician is a delight to watch as he loses himself to his music, fingers follow the pace of the mind , as he unfolds the notes of the Raga to create a captivating musical experience. Lal’s playing with rhythmic intelligence and unfailing clarity of technique veers from delicately decorative to dazzling moments of improvisations.
Currently studying Contemporary Improvisation at the New England Conservatory, Utsav has had an extraordinary career performing across Italy, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Hong Kong, Sweden, The Netherlands, USA, Canada, Singapore and India. Lal’s invitations to present the mesmerizing sound of ragas on the piano have come from leading classical concert venues which include The Kennedy Centre- Washington DC, Southbank Centre London, Theatre Orangerie-Netherlands, NCPA-Mumbai, Konset Huset-Sweden, Nehru Centre-London, India Habitat Centre-New Delhi, The Bridgewater Hall-Manchester, The Chambers-Singapore, Town Hall Symphony Hall-Birmingham, Tagore Centre-Berlin and The National Concert Hall-Dublin.
Joining Utsav for this event will be tabla player Derek Beckvold.
http://www.indianragapianist.
Choosing to perform on an instrument that has traditionally been considered unsuitable for Hindustani Classical Music, Utsav’s innovative handling of a raga blends his diverse musical influences and has left listeners spellbound. His soulful renditions in traditional Alap jod jhala style are expressed with simplicity, sincerity and depth and have won him fans in every corner of the world.
Bestowed with the unique title of “Raga Pianist”, the musician is a delight to watch as he loses himself to his music, fingers follow the pace of the mind , as he unfolds the notes of the Raga to create a captivating musical experience. Lal’s playing with rhythmic intelligence and unfailing clarity of technique veers from delicately decorative to dazzling moments of improvisations.
Currently studying Contemporary Improvisation at the New England Conservatory, Utsav has had an extraordinary career performing across Italy, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Hong Kong, Sweden, The Netherlands, USA, Canada, Singapore and India. Lal’s invitations to present the mesmerizing sound of ragas on the piano have come from leading classical concert venues which include The Kennedy Centre- Washington DC, Southbank Centre London, Theatre Orangerie-Netherlands, NCPA-Mumbai, Konset Huset-Sweden, Nehru Centre-London, India Habitat Centre-New Delhi, The Bridgewater Hall-Manchester, The Chambers-Singapore, Town Hall Symphony Hall-Birmingham, Tagore Centre-Berlin and The National Concert Hall-Dublin.
Joining Utsav for this event will be tabla player Derek Beckvold.
http://www.indianragapianist.
The amazing Utsav Lal performing in India in 2012 ...
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Çeşni Duo - Original music drawing from the Ottoman Art Tradition and beyond
Tev Stevig - tanbur, 7-string fretless guitar
Michael K. Harrist - Contrabass, yayli tanbur, ney
Tev and Mike first met by happenstance in Istanbul in 2010. Back home in Boston, MA they found themselves playing and studying Ottoman art music with Orkestra Marhaba. A modal tradition, Ottoman art music has a history of over 500 years and includes a wide range of repertoire, composers, and practitioners.
This project is a creative outlet for original composition and improvisation within the style. The concert may include a few favorites from the repertoire as well.
https://www.tevstevig.com/
Sylvie Leys is a saxophonist from Montpelier, FRANCE who has played the Journeys in Sound series a couple of times while attending Berklee School of Music. She has excellent intonation and has a very lyrical style. She is be returning home to France later in the month so this may be the last chance to get to see her locally.
reserve at ... https://utsavlalcesniduo.
suggested donation is $13 with a reservation, $15 without one
$10 for students and those on a fixed income
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