Cleveland Sitarist 1
This Cleveland Sitarist is a disciple of Sitar legend Ustad Vilayat Khan Saheb is one of the few world- class female artists performing today classical music on Sitar, the most popular string instrument of India. As a performer, composer, and educator, she has dedicated her life to preserving and propagating the traditional music of ancient India in its pristine purity.
She conducts residencies, workshops, lecture-demonstrations and performs Sitar concerts at schools and universities, performing Art Centers, Music and Sound Healing Conferences, World and Jazz Music Festivals, Classical Dance Ensembles, Radio/television stations and churches/temples/Yoga Ashrams around the world.
Cleveland Sitarist concerts
This Cleveland Sitarist playing has mesmerized and held her audiences spell-bound in concerts such as Woodstock, Chicago Jazz Festival, Rhineberger Chamber Hall of Cleveland Orchestra and Women in Music Festival at Eastman School of Music.
She has composed two Sitar Concertos featuring Indian Classical Ragas and performed the world premier of ‘Swara Mangalam’ and ‘Mangal Dhwani’ with Doctors Orchestra of Houston and Plymouth Canton Symphony Orchestra. She is the first woman to compose as well as perform with orchestras.
This Cleveland Sitarist has also composed the music and performed live for Indian Classical Dances such as Kathak, Bharatnatyam, Oddisi and Kuchipudi.
She is the performing artist for the Ohio Arts Council, Greater Columbus Arts Council and Mid-America Arts Alliance. She is a Board member of International Alliance of Women in Music (IAWM).
She teaches Classical Music of India at Conservatory of Music at Oberlin College, Ohio. This Cleveland Sitarist playing on Sitar replicates fluidity and subtle nuances of the human voice. To listen to her CD is transcendental experience.
Cleveland Sitarist performance
Her performance is spiritual and powerful. The listener is easily swept into the transcendental purity of each of the Ragas' movements. The invocation of this Divine music is mesmerizing and introspective, beckoning us all to bathe in its mysterious transcendence and to relish our moments in the now...
This Cleveland Sitarist is available for sitar concerts, composing and performing unique collaboration for western orchestra / symphony based on Indian Ragas, and workshops and residencies.
“It was heartening to hear Hindustani Classical music on Western string and Brass instruments (mercifully it was not fusion music).” – India Herald, TX
“Thanks so much for the wonderful concerto and all of your fabulous music making last night. I am so honored to have had chance to work with you in this amazing project.” – Nan Washburn, Conductor of Canton Orchestra, MI
“Your concert was a wonderful culmination to a day of musical learning and awareness. Your effective playing of an improvisatory art is to be greatly admired and valued.” – Dr. Doug McDonnell, Professor, Heidelberg College, Tiffin, OH
“Her musical artistry is beyond question, but the real magic is the person behind music. She genuinely cares about her music, her culture and her audience. She is an artist, an entertainer, and educator and a goodwill ambassador.” – Joe Moore, Director, International Cultural Center, Tiffin, OH
“You are clearly a world-class musician and performer.” – Dr. Ron Emoff, Assistant Professor, School of Music, the Ohio State University, Newark, OH
“Artists have to be technically very prepared, but it is a very rare gift to be capable of infusing their soul in their music. Through your performance we could see the beautiful heart of India.” – Swami Mahadevananda, the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Val Morin, Quebec, Canada
“She was a key element in the ensemble and she performed her beautiful music superbly” – Sreyashi Dey, Artistic Director, Srishti Dances of India
“Her improvising skills are amazing, especially in the light of her absorption of glissando vocal techniques into her Sitar playing” – Dr. Robert Rollin, Professor of Music, Youngstown State University, OH
“You are a brilliant musician” – Joe Garry, Cleveland Playhouse Square, Cleveland, OH
“Your ensemble was expertly assembled” – Peter Czornyj, The Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland, OH
“Your music added authenticity to our festival” – Tatsu Aoki, Artistic Dir. Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival
“Indian Music ‘Enchants’ Kiva audience” – Daily Kent Stater
“She wove an elaborate web of sound that held the rapt attention of our audience from start to finish. The purity of austerity of the tradition in which she was trained rang through the melodic improvisation of her alap and jhor in different ragas.” – Andrew Killick, Asst. Prof. Dept of Music, Illinois State University, Normal, IL
“Performance was mesmerizing, held audience of 5000 spellbound, quiet unique and not soon to be forgotten.” – Jerry Abramson, Woodstock 30th reunion Music Festival, Yasgurs Farm, Bethel, NY
“The audience was transfixed. The silvery twang of the sitar began to weave a spell through the room that contained until the very last notes” – The Oberlin Review, Oberlin, OH
“The sound of the classical music of India was truly splendid in the cathedral.” – Mike Telin, Music & Performing Arts at Trinity Cathedral, Inc.