Sarafand at WQXR Cooking up something new in rehearsal for Layale Chaker & Sarafand’s at The Greene Space at WNYC/WQXR. This project is named ‘Radio Afloat’, the vision of a radio lost at sea. The new music Layale Chaker composed for this concert is a reflection on the intertwined destinies of people and the natural world, which manifest even louder in times of collective pain; a commentary on the ebb and flow of politics of power and conflict that further the vulnerability

This bandish in Raag Darbari has several versions with different lyrics which express devotion, both Hindu and Muslim. Whatever the lyrics, the mood is Darbari; somber, majestic, profound, and noble. Living musical traditions transform and evolve, absorbing new elements along the way. My guru, Dr. N. Rajam, was already a virtuoso in her native Carnatic tradition by the time she traveled from Chennai to Benares to learn N. Indian music from her guru, Omkarnath Thakur when she

Gratitude to composer and conductor Eric Whitacre, Pianist Kelly Yu-Chieh Lin, and an extraordinary chorus of singers from all over the country for the opportunity to perform his gorgeous music at Carnegie Hall last night, Tuesday, May 31st. As a performer, you project emotion, but there is almost always some distance from it. This is probably the first time that I really struggled to keep that emotional space that is required to do the job. This music got me. "Glimpses of t

Presented by Arts Nova Workshop in partnership with the Painted Bride Art Center, Philadelphia Go: Organic Orchestra & Brooklyn Raga Massive World premiere of RAGMALA: A Garland of Ragas Composed and spontaneously conducted by Adam Rudolph This project brings together two innovative groups—Adam Rudolph’s Go: Organic Orchestra and Brooklyn Raga Massive—for an exploration into new dimensions, based around India’s raga and tala traditions. The longtime percussionist and bandle

A double bill at DROM with Kinan Azmeh. Layale Chaker and Sarafand will be on stage playing our new album Inner Rhyme, and Kinan will be presenting a new trio with John Hadfield and Erdem Helvacioglu. #LayaleChakerSarafand #LayaleChaker #Sarafand #KinanAzmeh #DROM #NYCMusic #Violin #Clarinet #Cello #Piano #Percussion #ZiyaTabassian #JakeCharkey #CelloJake #PhillipGolub #NickDunston #AdamMaalouf #Jazz #InnerRhyme #jazz

I performed a solo show in the Owl Music Parlour part of the Open Grounds Series. I have always advocate for programming new music for solo cello in recital alongside Hindustani music. I'm grateful for the opportunity to present this work. For the set of solo hindustani music my friend and tabla player Mir Naqibul Islam accompany me. PROGRAM - ' Poetic Moments' composed by Adam Rudolph, which is partially improvised and was designed to smoothly segue into Indian classical mu

Marlboro Slipstream Group (Matan Rubinstein – piano/electronics, Andrew Greenwald – drums/percussion, Ned Rothenberg – winds and myself) was conceived as a musical meeting of four performers/composers/improvisers of wildly different musical backgrounds, to make music that is betwixt and between. MSG is Ensemble In Residence at Marlboro College. Among the music performed, the program featured the New York premiere of Terraplane, an irreverent reconfiguration of the Romantic er

For its ninth consecutive monthly appearance on Jazz Standard stage hails the return of the electrifying Michael Leonhart Orchestra (MLO). The program was The Blue Note Records Suite Part 2 featuring the compositions of Kenny Dorham, Eric Dolphy, John Scofield, Bobby Hutcherson, and others. This genrecrossing 15piece ensemble features players from such name aggregations as the DapKings, the Mingus Big Band, the Maria Schneider Orchestra, and the Tonight Show band (The Roots),

Terry Riley composed the iconic work In C in 1964 and the piece, first performed with a group including Steve Reich and Pauline Oliveros is often credited with creating the genre of minimalism. Riley was influenced by Indian Classical music and later studied deeply initially under the guidance of Pandit Pran Nath. Brooklyn Raga Massive, “Leaders of the Raga Renaissance,” (The New Yorker) are an artist collective that share a love of Indian Classical music, and have made big w

I was honored to perform with Nakshatra at Drive East Festival in New York. Led by violinists Trina Basu and Arun Ramamurthy, Nakshatra reimagines the potential of string Chamber Music for our global times. The group explores beauty found at the intersections of their musical paths, where original compositions weave together threads of South Indian classical, Western chamber music, jazz and creative improvisation. We were joined by Dan Kurfirst on percussion for a diverse s