Purna Loka Ensemble program

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Sunday

OCT 28

2:00 pm

Pavilion

Purna Loka Ensemble

New world music from a geometric perspective

Indian classical violinist and mathematician Purnaprajna Bangere and David Balakrishnan, of the multi-Grammy Award-winning Turtle Island Quartet, have created a new musical syntax based on a geometric framework that integrates Indian classical music and Western music, encompassing elements from classical, blues and jazz. The result opens new frontiers with exciting new sounds and structures that transcend known genres of music. Joining Bangere and Balakrishnan to complete the ensemble are bass virtuoso Jeff Harshbarger from Kansas City and the talented Amit Kavthekar from Boston on tabla.

The program will consist of a variety of pieces and musical styles, including Indian classical music selections performed by Bangere and Kavthekar. Additionally, original works composed by Bangere and Balakrishnan will be performed by the ensemble, including “Syzygy” and the premiere of “Triality.” Other works that are performed will be announced from the stage.

There will be no intermission during this performance.

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OCT 28 | Purna Loka Ensemble

Purnaprajna Bangere comes from an important school of violin players in India. He had rigorous training under the well-known South Indian violinist and reputable teacher HKN Murthy. HKN Murthy is the student of the legendary Indian musician M.S. Gopalakrishnan. Purnaprajna is a representative of his school, and plays the style of music known as the Parur style, characterized by high-technical virtuosity and musicianship. In the last few years, he has been invited to give solo recitals at prestigious music festivals such as the LearnQuest Music Conference in Boston, the Cleveland Music Festival and the Toronto Music Festival. More recently, the Purna Loka Ensemble was featured in a concert at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

He is also a professor of mathematics and music at the University of Kansas.

Distinguished American composer, Jan Radzynski, says of Bangere,“Just like Conlon Nancarrow, the quintessential American original who lived most of his life in Mexico City, Purna Bangere escapes definition. Although he was born and schooled in Mysore, India, he settled in the United States only in 1991 and continued his musical activities as a violin virtuoso and a musical visionary. His vision includes integrating musical elements not only from his native India, but increasingly from his adopted country, the U.S. He uses geometry to do this, which is his other passion. It is that essentially American meeting of cultural crossroads that reflects Bangere’s deeply held belief in the brotherhood of humanity. That belief makes this music urgently emotional as it pulls the listener straight into the eye of the emotional storm.”

David Balakrishnan, composer, violinist and founder of the Grammy-winning Turtle Island Quartet, was born in Los Angeles, California in 1954. After graduating from UCLA in 1976, he quickly established his reputation as a talented and young improvising violinist, appearing on many recordings and making guest appearances with the David Grisman Quartet and jazz violin legend Stephane Grappelli. Under Balakrishnan’s direction, the Turtle Island Quartet has won two Grammy Awards, and David himself has been nominated six times, the most recent being a 2015 nomination in the Jazz composition category for his piece “Confetti Man.” Jeff Harshbarger, named 2011 Person of the Year by Plastic Sax and Best Bassist by The Pitch, has had quite an eclectic career. A prolific composer and bandleader in his own right, Jeff has recorded and performed across the globe with varied artists of repute. He is a co-founder of Tzigane Music, an artist-run collective and record label, and he is the curator of Jeff Harshbarger Presents: An Alternative Jazz Series, promoting new improvised music in Kansas City. Jeff also hosts Jazz Afternoon on Wednesdays from 1 to 3 pm on 90.1 FM KKFI. Amit Kavthekar has rhythm running through his veins. At the early age of six, when most children his age were playing about, he was being groomed in the art of tabla playing by the great maestro Ustad Allarakha. Beginning in 1991, he was fortunate to be taught tabla intricacies by the world-famous tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain.

He has accompanied some of India’s greatest musicians, such as Pt. Jasraj, Ustad Shahid Parvez, Ustad Ashish Khan, Pt. Buddhadev Dasgupta and Pt. Kushal Das. Amit also teaches at the New England School of Music.