Under the Indian Musical Sky

“Openness, encounter and dialogue form the basis for artistic evolution and advancement. For a musician, being receptive to others and exchanging ideas with artists from a variety of backgrounds ignites the imagination, nourishes creativity and awakens a sense of wonder.

Under the Indian Musical Sky transports us into the sublime, refined world of an unparalleled musical civilization. Transmitted orally from one generation to the next, with its melodic ragas, precisely calculated yet highly complex rhythms and beats, and its both geometric and lyrical ornamentation, Indian music, from the north down to the south, provides an inexhaustible source of inspiration and beauty.”

This encounter with Shashank Subramanyam, one of the great heirs to the Carnatic music of southern India, marks an important milestone in our journey of exploration into Indian music. Following numerous collaborations with the late master of the sarangi, Dhruba Ghosh, who left us far too soon last July, Constantinople embarks on a new artistic association, and plunges into the musical world of the Carnatic tradition.

Tonight’s concert features original compositions by Shashank and by me along with improvisations that will take shape in your presence, in this venue perfectly suited to our music.

The dialogues between the flute of the prodigious Shashank Subramanyam and my Persian setar will be enriched by the virtuoso playing of two celebrated percussionists, Parupalli Phalgun and Keyvan Chemirani, who hail from southern India and Iran, respectively, and the versatile gambist Pierre-Yves Martel. Together, we’ll take you on a journey under the sky of one of the great civilizations of humanity: India.

Kiya Tabassian, Artistic Director