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ANNEX 1
Concert Programme
Gireeshma (Summer)
Natai
Charukesi
Sharad (Autumn)
South of the River
Jin Tune
Ambush from Ten Sides
Hemanta (Winter)
Mohana
Mo Li Hua
Vasantha (Spring)
Swallow
Dhun
Blue Little Flower
Blissful Reminiscence
ANNEX 2
Profile of The Indian Quartet
The Indian quartet from Bhaskar’s Arts Academy, Singapore, is led by Singapore
flautist and music director/composer, Ghanavenothan Retnam. This concert is
the quartet’s debut and marks the first time the talented musicians from India,
Singapore and Spain are working together, resulting in a colorful tapestry of
music.
Sri Ghanavenothan Retnam – Flute
Singaporean Indian classical musician Ghanavenothan Retnam has carved a
niche for himself in the arts scene in Singapore and abroad. Son of pioneer
musician Sri R. Retnam, he was tutored by Pandit M. Ramalingam who
nurtured his passion for playing the flute. With numerous performances to his
credit and having accompanied internationally renowned artists, he is a most
sought after musician for Indian dance and musical performances.
His virtuosity in mastering the subtle nuances of the abhinaya has given his
music for dance performances a lilting and ethereal quality. Ghanavenothan has
also conducted two flute arangetrams for his students, a first in Singapore. For
his outstanding contributions to the field of arts, Ghanavenothan was the first
local Indian artiste to be awarded the prestigious “Young Artist Award” and
bestowed the titles “Sangitha Kala Nipun” and “Singai Venugana Visharada”.
He was also recipient of the Lifetime Achievement and Humanitarian Medallion
conferred by the world peace and harmony organisation in New York, United
States of America.
Currently the Music Director at Bhaskar’s Arts Academy, Ghanavenothan also
writes music for orchestras and ballets in arts festivals locally and abroad.
Cultivating a unique artistry in cross-cultural collaborations, he explores highly
innovative musical genres with a mystical exuberance. Beyond his artistic work,
Ghanavenothan also serves on several of the National Arts Council (NAC)
Advisory panels. He also plays an advisory role to the People’s Association
(PA) and the National Youth Council (NYC).
Ghanavenothan’s recordings, based on classical, devotional and East-West
fusion, has been heard on the National Geographic, Animal Planet and the
Discovery Travel channels.
His stirring and emotive performances for
dignitaries and royalty led him to record for a Walt Disney feature film. An avid
reviewer and columnist in arts magazines, he also serves in various
programming panels in NAC, PA and NYC.
Sri Nantha Kumar - Tabla and Allied Percussions
Nantha Kumar grew up in a family of artists, and started lessons at the age of
five. Encouraged by his mother, a Bharatanatyam dancer, he studied the tabla
under the supervision of Sri Sinniah (Singapore) and Sri Bairavan (India).
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Following extensive training on percussions, he obtained a classical Indian music
diploma. He had performed many concerts and dance dramas in Singapore
before embarking on a cultural expedition to Europe.
Nantha’s mastery in the African drum djembe, Latin congas and other percussion
instruments from around the world has won him praise in international
performances. Since 1998, Nantha has formed bands, composed music, played
the tabla and incorporated new African, Arabic, Caribbean and Flamenco
rhythms for groups and bands such as Sixun, Jaleo, Ketama and for some of the
best musicians in Spain, France and Brazil.
Although Nantha has made Madrid, Spain his home base since 1999, he
continues to travel the world and has won accolades at prestigious music
festivals such as the Gnaoua Desert Festival (Morocco), Montreal Jazz Festival,
and New Orleans Jazz Festival. He has also toured New York City, Europe,
Morocco, India, Singapore and Japan. In addition to teaching the tabla and other
percussion instruments, Nantha is also part of the fusion groups Jaleo and Mukt.
Sadanandan Arun – Veena
Sadanandan Arun is a diploma holder in music for the veena from the
Government of Kerala (India) and an ‘A’ grade artiste for All India Radio. With his
vast experience and knowledge at vocals and veena, he also composes music
scores for dance. His forte is the art of playing the tana, which gives a silken
touch to his music and is also a versatile suddha maddala player who gives
expressive rhythmic support for the Kathakali. Sadanandan is also a vivid and
active performer for the reputed Sopanam theatre in Kerala, India, and has given
solo performances in many cities within India as well as in the international
arena. He now teaches veena at the Nrityalaya Aesthetics Society.
Sri Santhosh Menon – Mridangam
Santhosh Menon started learning the mridangam at the age of seven under Guru
Madhavadas. He furthered his studies in percussion under the tutelage of Sri
Palghat CS Krishnamoorthy and holds a diploma from the Swathi Thirunal Music
Academy in Trivandrum, India.
He is also a proficient performer of the maddalam, edakka, chenda, ganjira and
other percussion instruments. Santhosh is also talented with the ‘morsing’, a
mouth-resonated instrument also known as the ‘Jew’s Harp’ He has traveled
widely to France, Egypt, Turkey, the Middle East, Mexico and USA. For his
outstanding contributions, he was conferred the title of Sangitha Kala Nipuna in
2001 by Nrityalaya Aesthetics Society where he teaches.
He has provided percussion accompaniment in all its dance and music
productions and is an avid composer of innovative jathis used in Indian dance.
His able accompaniment on the chenda for Kathakali complement the intricate
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rhythms found in this dance form. He is also a favored percussionist of other arts
groups, including the National University of Singapore Centre for the Arts.
Profile of China Magpie
Founded by Wu Tong, China Magpie made its debut at the Singapore Arts
Festival 2004 with a musical arrangement entitled Jiangnan during the Silk Road
Ensemble’s concert at the Esplanade Concert Hall. It has since performed at the
Aichi World Expo, the Hollywood Bowl, as well as Carnegie Hall and the
Tanglewood Center.
Wu Tong – Sheng
Born in 1971 to a musical family in Beijing, Wu Tong has become the most visible
proponent of traditional Chinese music of his generation. From being the
founding vocalist of Lunhui (“Again”), a pioneering Chinese rock band merging
Western and Asian traditions, to performing with Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road
Ensemble, Wu has achieved an unparalleled populist following for Chinese music
on three continents.
Wu premiered Bright Sheng’s New York Philharmonic commission, The Song
and Dance of Tears, in March 2003. During the same visit, Wu performed with
three New York downtown musicians at Joe’s Pub to a sold out crowd. Between
February and April 2004, Wu spent time at the Siemens United States of America
headquarters to develop looping technology for a new electric sheng. Wu Tong
made his Singapore debut with appearances in The Song and Dance of Tears
with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in June 2004 during the Singapore Arts
Festival and also performed at The Arts House with Singapore’s local artists led
by Ghanavenothan Retnam. Wu continues to travel extensively with the Silk
Road Ensemble on their international tours while remaining a chart-topping
vocalist in China.
Liu Lin – Zhongruan and Acoustic Guitar
Liu Lin is considered as one of China’s most respected crossover musicians. His
brilliant achievement in Chinese traditional, pop and rock music has made him
one of the most frequently engaged and recorded Chinese instrumentalists in the
world.
Liu has performed in more than 30 countries including the America, England,
Canada, Japan, Korea and Singapore. Broadcasting companies such as CNN,
ABC Australia and CCTV of China have featured him. Liu is one of the most
recorded guitarists in China. In the past 20 years, he has recorded more than 20
CD albums, major Asian films and his CD Made in China has coined “cool
Chinese jazz.”
As a lead electric guitarist, Liu has collaborated with more than 50 pop singers in
Asia including Sun Nan, Han Hong, Liu Huan, Faye Wong, Andy Lau and Leon
Lai.
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Gao Xiang – Violin
Violinist Gao Xiang has been cited by the New York Times as “a rare and soulful
virtuoso.” Currently, he serves as the youngest Associate Professor of Music with
tenure at the University of Delaware’s Department of Music. As a creative
crossover musician, Gao composes, arranges and performs in the style of jazz,
bluegrass, Asian folk, and South American music.
In 1994, Gao became the first Chinese violinist to join the roster of Columbia
Artists Management (CAMI), and began his professional solo career. Highlights
of recent engagements include concerto appearances with the Detroit
Symphony, Czech Philharmonic, Gothenburg Symphony-National Orchestra of
Sweden, St. Petersburg Philharmonic of Russia, Estonia National Symphony,
Mexico State Symphony, and Kansas City Symphony.
With his strong interest in theatre and Asian traditional music, Gao created the
Butterfly Lovers multimedia violin concerto, combining musical performance with
synchronized visual presentation of ancient Chinese brush painting on screen
and a dramatic reading (written by playwright Danny Peak) presented by two
actors. The orchestral version will be premiered at the Meadowbrook Music
Festival with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra this summer.
Li Hui – Pipa
One of today’s most promising Chinese artists, Li Hui has already won a number
of competitions including the prestigious Beijing International Folk Instrument
Competition in 2001. Highlights of recent seasons include solo performances at
the Berlin Modern Music Festival, the Holland Festival, Singapore Arts Festival
and the Lincoln Center Festival. Li was chosen by American composer Bright
Sheng to perform in his opera Silver River, which featured a virtuoso pipa player
on stage as a leading role.
Born into a family of musicians, Li began music studies at the age of five. In
1982, after national auditions, the Central Conservatory of Music accepted her
where she received her Bachelor and Masters degrees. Li became a faculty
member of the Central Conservatory of Music in 1996.
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ANNEX 3
Credit List
Ghana Sangam
Ghanavenothan Retnam, Programme Director
Indian Quartet
Sri Ghanavenothan Retnam, flute
Sri Nantha Kumar, tabla
Sri Sadanandan Arun, veena
Sri Santhosh Menon, mridangam
China Magpie
Wu Tong, sheng, vocals
Liu Lin, zhongruan and acoustic guitar
Gao Xiang, violin
Li Hui, pipa
Special thanks to Bhaskar’s Arts Academy
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