August 15, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland, Ore. … Legendary performer, composer, teacher and writer Ravi Shankar returns to Portland with his daughter Anoushka Shankar for a special concert presented by the Oregon Symphony on Friday, Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. The Oregon Symphony does not perform. Media support is provided by KINKfm102.
Shankar, “the Godfather of World Music,” according to the late George Harrison, is India’s most recognized and esteemed musical ambassador. Renowned throughout the world for his pioneering work in bringing Indian music to the West, Shankar has written for musicians from the East and West including Yehudi Menuhin, Jean-Pierre Rampal and Philip Glass. Among his works are two Concertos for Sitar and Orchestra, the first commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra and premiered under André Previn, as well as scores for ballets and films, including the Academy Award-winning “Gandhi,” for which he was nominated for both a Grammy and an Oscar. Shankar will announce his program from the stage.
Shankar’s daughter Anoushka is widely considered to be her father’s successor in both her level of musicianship and artistry on the sitar, as well as her ability to cross cultures between Indian and Western music. She has been playing and studying with her father since she was nine, and is the only musician in the world who has been trained exclusively by him. Anoushka will open the evening, joined by tabla masters Tanmoy Bose and Arup Chattopadhyay; their selections will be announced from stage.
Tickets range in price from $27 to $68 and may be purchased at the Oregon Symphony Ticket Office (923 S.W. Washington), Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or charged by phone at 503-228-1353 or (800) 228-7343. Tickets also may be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets (503-790-ARTS) or through Ticketmaster Online, via the Symphony's Web site at www.orsymphony.org. Service fees may apply.
Legendary virtuoso sitarist, composer, teacher and writer Ravi Shankar is renowned throughout the world for his pioneering work in bringing Indian music to the West. He has been a cultural influence in the West for more than three decades as India’s most recognized and esteemed musical ambassador.
The youngest son of a Bengali family, he was born in 1920 in Varansi (Benares), the holiest of Indian cities. At the age of 10 he accompanied his elder brother, Uday Shankar, with his company of dancers and musicians to Paris where he attended school. He spent several years in the West absorbing different kinds of music but returned to India in 1938 to begin his career. He combined his concert performances with his work for All India Radio (1949–56), where he established the National Chamber Orchestra. As word of his virtuosity spread throughout India, then Europe, Asia and the United States, Shankar embarked on one of the most extraordinary careers in the history of contemporary music.
Ravi Shankar is a prolific composer and in addition to his numerous ragas and talas, he has written for musicians from the East and West including Yehudi Menuhin, Jean-Pierre Rampal and Japanese artists. Among his works are two Concertos for Sitar and Orchestra, the first commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra and premiered under André Previn. In 1980 he was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic, under the direction of Zubin Mehta, to compose “Raga-Mala” (A Garland of Ragas), which was his second Sitar Concerto. Ravi Shankar also wrote, composed and choreographed the ballet “Ghanashyam,” a work which made history on the British and Indian cultural scenes.
He has composed extensively for ballets and films including Satyajit Ray’s “Apu” trilogy, which raised film music to a new standard of excellence, and “Gandhi,” the Academy Award winning classic by Sir Richard Attenborough, which won him nominations for both an Oscar and a Grammy Award.
Ravi Shankar is the recipient of many awards and honors including the Presidential Padma Vibhushan Award (1980) and the Award of Deshikottam, given by Vishawa Bharati and presented in December 1982 by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He is an honorary member of the American Academy of the Arts and Letters and recipient of 12 doctorates. In 1986 he became a member of the Rajya Sabha, India’s Upper House of Parliament. He is a Fellow of the Sangeet Natak Academy and Founder President of The Research Institute for Music and the Performing Arts. In 1999 the government of India honored Ravi Shankar by awarding him its highest civilian award, the “Bharat Ratna,” or Jewel of India. In 2000 Mr. Shankar received France’s highest civilian award, the “Commandeur de la Légion d’Honneur.” In March 2001 the British High Commissioner and Lady Young awarded Ravi Shankar the “Honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.”
Ravi Shankar’s extensive discography of more than 60 albums continues to grow, and in 1996 Angel records released “In Celebration,” a lavishly documented four-CD retrospective of his greatest recordings, in honor of his 75th birthday. In 2001 Angel released “Full Circle, Carnegie Hall 2000,” Mr. Shankar’s first live concert recording in nearly two decades. Angel/EMI is also continuing to release many of Mr. Shankar’s albums previously unavailable on CD. Called the “Godfather of World Music” by George Harrison, Ravi Shankar has also been given the title “Global Ambassador” by the World Economic Forum.
He continues to tour each season all over the world dividing his time between India and the United States with regular visits to Europe and the Far East. He is the author of three books – “My Music, My Life” (in English), “Rag Anurag” (in Bengali) and “Raga Mala” (English) – the latest of which is an autobiography that was released in 1999.
Perhaps no greater tribute can be paid to this remarkable musician than the words of his colleague Yehudi Menuhin: “Ravi Shankar has brought me a precious gift and through him I have added a new dimension to my experience of music. To me, his genius and his humanity can only be compared to that of Mozart’s.”
At the young age of 21, Anoushka Shankar has shown herself to be a unique artist with tremendous talent and understanding of the great musical tradition of India. Anoushka is the only artist in the world to be trained completely by her father and legendary sitar virtuoso and composer, Ravi Shankar. At age 13 she made her performing debut in New Delhi, India, and began assisting her father at all his concerts worldwide. That same year, Anoushka entered the recording studio for the first time to play on her father’s recording, “In Celebration.” Two years later she helped as conductor with her father and George Harrison on the 1997 Angel release, “Chants of India.” Shortly thereafter she signed an exclusive contract with Angel/EMI Classics. In 1998 her first solo recording, “Anoushka,” was released to tremendous critical acclaim. Her second album, “Anourag,” followed this two years later. October 2001 saw the release of her third CD “Live at Carnegie Hall,” which was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best World Music Album category, making her the youngest nominee ever in that category. Anoushka also performed on her father's Grammy Award winning album “Full Circle: Live at Carnegie Hall.”
As her sitar career continues to blossom, she is poised to carry forward her father's legacy as one of the most creative and influential figures in the music world. In recognition of her artistry and musicianship the British Parliament presented Anoushka with a House of Commons Shield in 1998. She is the youngest as well as the first female recipient of this high honor.
Born in London, Anoushka grew up traveling between London and New Delhi then moved to Encinitas, California, where she graduated from high school in 1999 with honors in all subjects. She also showed a natural talent and flair for classical piano, which she studied from the age of ten. Anoushka now spends most of the year performing in Europe, America and Asia. She continues touring the world with her father's ensemble at all his performances, and spends whatever time possible in New Delhi involved in the Ravi Shankar Centre’s activities. Anoushka is also championing her father's Concerto No. 1 for Sitar and Orchestra, which she first performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Zubin Mehta in 1997. In July 1999 she premiered a new work for sitar and cello, written by her father, with cellist Mstislav Rostropovich at the Evian Festival, France. In February 2000 Anoushka became the first woman to perform at The Ramakrishna Centre in Calcutta. Anoushka made her conducting debut in January 2001 at Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi directing a 22-member orchestra premiering a new composition of her father’s titled “Kalyan.”
Anoushka has shared the stage with many of the world’s top celebrities. In 2000 she took part in a fundraising concert organized by Trudie Styler for the Tibet Foundation Peace Garden in London. Other artists performing included Madonna, Vanessa Redgrave, Lulu, Bryan Adams, and Alan Rickman. Legendary producers Quincy Jones and Phil Ramone asked her to perform at the World Economic Forum in 2002 along with artists such as Bono of rock group U2, Lauryn Hill and Peter Gabriel. At the performance she premiered a new piece composed by her father titled “Mood Circle.” Just months later she took part in the star-studded Rainforest Foundation Benefit Concert in Carnegie Hall, organized by Sting and Trudie Styler and featuring Elton John, Patti La Belle, Nina Simone, James Taylor and other legends. The evening's programme was dedicated in part to the late George Harrison and Anoushka performed a short piece composed by her father in his memory.
In November 2002 Anoushka Shankar conducted a new composition of her father’s at the highly anticipated “Concert for George,” in honor of the late George Harrison at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Ravi Shankar’s beautiful new composition, “Arpan,” featured a guitar solo by Eric Clapton and performances by 43 musicians playing Indian and Western instruments. Before taking the conductor's platform, Anoushka performed “Mood Circle” with Tanmoy Bose on tabla, and then joined Jeff Lynne for George Harrison’s song, “The Inner Light.” The second half of the concert took on a more rock and roll feel with headliners Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, Ringo Star and Jeff Lynne.
Anoushka's first book was released in August 2002 by Roli Books in New Delhi, India. “Bapi, The Love of My Life,” a pictorial biography, is a rich tribute to her father's life, in which she simultaneously tells his story through text and through rare and private photographs and other visuals. In February 2003 she acted in her first movie, “Dance Like a Man,” based on a play by the same name written by Mahesh Dattani. In it she plays a young Bharatanatyam dancer, and had to undergo rigorous dance training to prepare for the role. Anoushka has a wide range of interests that she continues to nurture, but her devotion to the sitar and to her father's guidance is unmistakable, with a discipline that has led her into an already extraordinary performing career.
Born in to a family of music connoisseurs, Tanmoy Bose was exposed to the subtle nuances of music and rhythm since childhood. Though he received vocal training from Shri Maharaj Banarjee and learned Harmonium from the late Montu Banarjee, the charm of the rhythm attracted Tanmoy towards the Tabla.
A disciple of the late Kanai Dutta and Pandit Shankar Ghosh, Tanmoy has developed a balanced technique which does not restrain itself to any one particular Gharana or school. Tanmoy has carved a niche for himself among the younger generation of top-ranking musicians of the country. A sought after Tabla player both as a soloist and an accompanist, he has participated in numerous prestigious musical events in India and abroad winning accolades wherever he performed.
Arup Chattopadhyay is recognized today as one of the most sought after Tabla artists of India. As a premier disciple of the world renowned Pandit Shankar Ghosh, Arup has established himself both as an outstanding accompanist and soloist. Arup started his training in tabla at the age of six from his father and later came under the tutelage of the great tabla guru, Pandit Shankar Ghosh. An A-Grade tabla artist of the All India Radio and Doordarshan Television, Arup records and performs frequently for the Indian broadcasting network. Since 1998, Arup has performed with Pandit Ravi Shankar in concerts in the United States, Europe and India. Since 1999 he has resided in the US and serves as a visiting guest lecturer of tabla at the University of California, San Diego. Arup has several recordings to his credit including the first released CD & Cassette, “The Art of Tabla Solo” in the year 2000 followed by the second one in 2002.
