Ra-Ve Cultural Foundation (Ra-Ve) is well-known across the arts landscape of Northwest Arkansas for providing classes, training, and musical events for all who are interested in the music and dance tradition of classical India. The Master Concert series is the ultimate expression of that vision. Join us as we celebrate these ancient, lustrous—and highly entertaining—arts!
On October 6th, Ra-Ve sponsors something truly special—100 Strings! 100 strings on just two instruments, that is: the Saraswathi veena and the santoor. The Saraswathi veena has seven strings and the santoor, uniquely prepared for this tour, has 93—add them all together and you have 100 strings of pure musical enchantment!
The tour brings something extra and very special when it comes to Bentonville: for this performance only, Vittal Ramamoorthy, one of the leading violinists of the Carnatic stage and a great supporter of Ra-Ve since our beginning in 2018, joins the onstage brilliance! Nirmala Rajasekar, the star Saraswathi veena player on the tour, felt that it was important to include Vittal to honor him and his work on behalf of Ra-Ve Cultural Foundation. So for this event, and this event only, 100 Strings showcases the full range of stringed instrumentation—plucked, hammered, and bowed…a musical windfall that will not be offered anywhere else.
We invite you to join us, the masters of the Saraswathi veena, the santoor, the violin, the mridangam, and the tabla, for 100 Strings (or should it be 104?), a beautiful and truly unique musical experience!
• 100 Strings
• Sunday, October 6th
• 4:00-5:30 PM
• The Great Hall, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
• 600 Museum Way, Bentonville, AR 72712.
Food boxes for this event are available for purchase. Visit the Store on this campaign to order.
Nirmala Rajasekar, is a leading Saraswathi veena player, vocalist, composer, and educator. Celebrated around the globe for her exquisite tone, vibrant musicality, captivating stage presence, and sensitive artistry, and acclaimed for her dynamic performances and innovative compositions, she performs globally at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and the United Nations. Recipient of the Kalaimamani Award and the 2023 A.P. Anderson Awardee, she is well-known as a Carnatic Ambassador, pushing boundaries in the world of music.
www.nirmalarajasekar.com.
Sandip Chatterjee, is a distinguished santoor player and a disciple of Pandit Tarun Bhattacharya and Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty, blending the Maihar and Pattala gharanas. His innovative style, utilizing one hand to pluck strings, has garnered acclaim worldwide. With collaborations in jazz and contemporary world music, Sandip's 21 albums and many contributions to renowned music directors' projects showcase his musical prowess, earning him numerous awards, including the "President of India Award" and "Sangeeth Ratna Award." Through his relentless dedication, Sandip continues to captivate audiences, weaving a mesmerizing spell with his music.
www.santoorplayer.com
Vittal Ramamoorthy is one of the world’s great violinists. After initial training with Sri Hosahalli Venkatram, and Smt. T. Rukmini, Sri. Vittal went on to learn from the legend and violin maestro, Sri Lalgudi G. Jayaraman and blossomed into the versatile musician he is today. He is an "A" grade artist of All India Radio and has been extensively featured on national radio and television. In his passion for music and selfless contribution to the growth of Carnatic music, Sri. Vittal also organizes music summer camps at his home every year, where he invites music students from all over India to train as Carnatic musicians.
www.violinvittal.com
Vidwan Thanjavur K. Murugaboopathi is a leading mridangam player acclaimed worldwide for his technique and creativity. Trained in the gurukula tradition under Mridangam maestro Sri Tanjore Upendran, he collaborates with eminent Carnatic and Hindustani musicians. His performances span prestigious venues globally, including the United Nations in New York City and Royal Albert Hall in London. A recipient of multiple awards, including the Kalaimamani Award, Sri Murugaboopathi actively engages in educational outreach programs and supports arts organizations and young artists across continents.
www.murugaboopathi.com
Ramdas Palsule is renowned for his innovative approach to traditional compositions for the tabla, earning acclaim as a riyaazi (hard-working) musician, and has collaborated with a plethora of distinguished artists and graced prestigious venues globally, including performing solo at Ustad Alla Rakha Khansaheb's Barsi in 2018. An esteemed guru and empaneled musician of ICCR, Ramdas continues to propagate Hindustani classical music worldwide, arranging concerts and nurturing talent across continents since 2001.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramdas_Palsule The Saraswathi veena is revered as the national instrument of India. Named after Saraswathi, the goddess of arts, culture, and wisdom, and quite large (up to four feet long) the Saraswathi veena is a stringed and plucked instrument. To play it, the musician, or vai?ika sits cross-legged on the ground and lays it across their lap. Related to the sitar, the music the Saraswathi veena creates is among the most easily accessible to Western audiences.
The santoor is a hammered box dulcimer that belongs to the north Indian classical music of India. Until the middle of the 20th century, the santoor was known as the main instrument of Kashmiri Sufi music, but it has now become a major solo instrument in the music of northern India. The original name of the santoor was shata tantric veena, which in Sanskrit means a veena with 100 strings. The number of strings can vary, however, depending on the preferences of the player, and for this tour Sandip Chatterjee uses a custom instrument with 93 strings.
This is what people had to say about our event last month. Don't miss your chance at the last master concert of 2024 at CBM!
