Please join me at the Red Poppy Art House in San Francisco for an interactive lecture demonstration and concert this week! This is the second performance as part of my artist residency there. The first was VidyA on March 5th. We will have more performances and other events there, so stay tuned.
Indian classical saxophonist Prasant Radhakrishnan presents an interactive lecture-demonstration on Carnatic (South Indian classical) music, with special focus on the tradition’s use of the saxophone.
Audience members will learn about the cultural context of Carnatic music and, to enhance their listening experience, some of its technical aspects. Prasant will demonstrate many of the concepts on the saxophone, as well as perform entire pieces. As a very special bonus, attendees will receive a complimentary copy of one of Prasant's Carnatic saxophone CDs!$15 admission. Interactive lecture 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm.
Prasant Radhakrishnan, founder of the critically acclaimed Carnatic jazz group VidyA, has been traveling the world playing saxophone in the traditional South Indian Carnatic classical and jazz styles since 1998. Prasant began developing his music over the course of nearly a decade of intensive musical training in India, as the foremost disciple of Carnatic saxophone pioneer “Padmashri” Dr. Kadri Gopalnath. He soon, however, began to make his own innovations to this unique style.
Prasant has performed in several prestigious Carnatic music venues with the most discerning and senior-level accompanying artists in the field. He is blessed with a rich, vocalized tone which allows the saxophone to imitate the human singing voice. Prasant’s music has been regularly highlighted in world-class publications such as The Hindu, the SF Chronicle and India Today magazine.
Prasant is a 2010 resident artist at the Red Poppy Art House and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, as well as a recipient of a Zellerbach Foundation grant to further develop original compositions combining Carnatic music and jazz. Prasant’s continued exposure to the Carnatic and jazz traditions led him to create VidyA, an ensemble that seamlessly combines both genres. VidyA has been featured at venues such as SFJazz, San Jose Jazz, Yoshi’s and the Asian American Film Festival, and has received enthusiastic critical acclaim.
“[A] sweet melody all the way.” —The Hindu
$15 admission. Doors open at 7:30 pm. Show at 8:00 pm.
Prasant Radhakrishnan 