Classical Arts Society Takes Music Lovers to a World of Melody, Harmony and Melharmony

By Chittoor Ramachandran
HOUSTON: Classical Arts Society presented its second part of the annual Tyagaraja festival as a two-day event on April 11 and 12. At its 37th year milestone, some of the ingenious changes made in the society’s course have been applauded by the music lovers of Greater Houston.

The festival once again reassured the rasikas that Classical Arts Society continues to remain as a strong patron of Carnatic music in Greater Houston as it always has been during the past three decades.
To the delight of the music connoisseurs, two major reputed art organizations of Houston- the Asia Society Texas and the Houston Grand Opera joined hands with Classical Arts Society. This was a welcome initiative which made the event enjoyable to a wider circle. The artistic director Sri.Chitravina N.Ravikiran creatively planned and featured several unique presentations to bring out some of the distinct elements common to or different from Carnatic music, opening the festival henceforth into a new arena. Participation of several distinguished music experts internationally well known in their respective niche of music enlightened the audience and elevated the scholastic aspect of the event. Some of the presenters included Dr. Robert Morris ( Eastman College of Music, University of Rochester), Dr. Mena Mark Hanna (Asst. Artistic Director of Houston Grand Opera), Dr. Kanniks Kannikeswaran (Director, American School of Indian Art, Cincinnati, OH), and the artistic director of the event Sangeet Samrat Chitravina N. Ravikiran. In a panel discussion, key characteristics of Western and Eastern classical music were discussed and demonstrated. Melody in Indian classical music system and harmony in Western classical music system was the primary focus of discussion. Such fascinating topics captivated and helped appreciation of the vast scope of music which originated and developed in distinct civilizations.
The event opened with a traditional Carnatic recital before a packed audience. Sri Meenakshi Temple Society being a partner of Classical Arts Society, the opening concert took place at MTS Kalyana Mandapam, the traditional venue for conducting the Tyagaraja Festival. Rest of the performances was held at Asia Society Texas Center.
An enthralling concert by the most celebrated vocalist sisters Ranjani and Gayathri opened the curtain of the festival. The three hours of rendition was splendid and of superb quality. The artistes maintained perfection in every raga they delivered evoking the mood of each composition. Some of the major krithis they elaborated were Tyagaraja’s Raju veDale (Thodi), Gopalakrishna Bharathi’s Vazhimaraikuthe. (Natakurinji), and Purandara Dasa’s Daya Mado (Riti Gowla). The much detailed Ranjani-mala Ragam Thanam Pallavi was the highlight of the evening and the credit goes equally to Ranjani, Gayathri, violinist Sri H.N. Bhaskar and the mridangist Sri Manoj Siva. The accompanists deserve much credit for the success of this concert. Sri. H. N. Bhaskar’s sophisticated, relaxed, and creative style enhanced every moment of the concert. The exuberant professionalism shown by Sri Manoj Siva throughout the concert, especially in the thani was commendable.
A brief but fascinating demonstration of operatic music by Houston Grand opera was presented by excellent performing artistes Alisa Magallon (Soprano), Alejandro Magallon (Tenor) and Teruhiko Toda (piano). These artistes are associated with Houston Grand Opera and are well sought after in our city. Their superb performance elicited ardent interest in the audience and was very informative.
A group of young performing artistes ( The String Quintet : Sandy Nagarajan, Jacob Miller, Jessie DeArman, Nicholas Perkyns & Anna Howard) from High School of Performing& Visual Arts presented a brief and lovely demonstration to highlight Melharmony, a musical form (derived from Melody and Harmony) invented by Sri. Ravikiran. In this confluence of Western and Eastern music, this brief presentation was an experience that was truly unique and beautiful.
A grand jugalbandi concert by Sri. Ravikiran (chitravina) and Sri. Snehasish Mozumder (mandolin) with accompaniment by Dr. Rohan Krishnamurthy (mridangam) and Sri. Gouri Shankar Karmarkar (tabla) was the finale of the event. The two eminent artistes in Carnatic and Hindustani styles displayed their impeccable prowess in their disciplines and won the hearts of the audience in their opening independent pieces. The percussionists also exhibited their competence in their art to explore the vast scope of improvisation. The impromptu moments kept many in the audience at the edge of their seats. Overall, the performance concluded with general appreciation from the audience.
One should greatly appreciate the organizers for their thoughtful initiative to feature distinct disciplines in an event like this festival. We can be sure that the partnership of this kind will remain beneficial in this land where the world cultures merge.