SAI SYMPHONY INFORMATION

The Sai Symphony - one of its kind - is an extraordinary music composition, blending Indian music, Symphony orchestra and Mixed choir. The Sai Symphony is a special composition linking Western Classical Music with Indian Classical Music. It is based on different phases of the presence of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. The Symphony consists of five movements, each dealing with one of the above phases. The utmost famous Indian artists (see below) team up for this boundlessly charismatic performance. The Sai Symphony is an unique one based on the life of Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and embodies His principal universal messages of Love and Peace for all Mankind, the call to Man to help and serve his fellow Man. Its messages are most appropriate to today’s strife torn world, bringing hope for the future of the Human race. Do not miss this unique concert night.

Some of today's pre-eminent Indian virtuosos with deeply intense sincerity will be performing together with orchestra and choir, enchanting all music lovers. All listeners receive the universal message of Love after the life and message of the admired Indian teacher Sai Baba, out of this well-loved symphony. The composition by German composer Mike Herting was inspired by the late Shri V. Srinivasan from India.

Symphonic vigor, brilliant solos and charming orchestral showpieces round out your very emotional concert night out of this symphonic masterpiece with fireworks and aching lyricism. The music combines the best of various cultures and features some of the best musicians of the world.

You will be inspired and uplifted by the final song „Love all - Serve all“, performed by choir, soloists and full orchestra.

SOLOISTS

GURU KAARAIKKUDI MANI

Guru Kaaraikudi Mani, a veteran of more than six decades in the field of Carnatic music is not just a great performer, but a dedicated teacher too. His dedication and hard work was instrumental in the creation of the ‘Karaikudi Mani Bhani (Style)’, which won the hearts of many young percussionists across several percussion schools thus creating a veritable generation of musicians who will sustain his style into the next millennium. His unique ensembles, the talavadya instruments and thani avartanam concerts gained immense respect and elevated Mridangam to a different league. A composer of considerable acclaim, he has wowed audiences the world over with his Carnatic and jazz ensembles and has collaborated with renowned artists and philharmonic symphony orchestras world over. He runs a charitable institution, Sruthi Laya Kendra having centres at Chennai, Australia, London, and USA and honours senior and ailing musicians through a music festival. He also single-handedly edits and publishes ‘Layamani Layam’, a bimonthly magazine. A celebrated musician, he strongly believes that he is still a student of the divine art.

SAI SHRAVANAM

A unique classically trained Sound Designer of India, skilled Musician, self trained Tabla player, Music Engineer/Producer and Entrepreneur, Sai Shravanam has created a benchmark quality in all of his endeavors with a single minded devotion towards music. He founded ‘Resound India’, a music designing lab with the mission of bridging the artists and music technology in Indian classical music spectrum and has successfully completed 10 years of professional music production with his work receiving world-wide critical acclaim. He was the first to be credited cumulatively as Indian Music Producer, Music Arranger, Scoring and Recording Engineer & Musician for the Blockbuster Bio Epic Movie ‘The Man Who Knew Infinity’ in collaboration with Matt Brown and Coby Brown. He has worked in various experimental, cross  cultural music projects with artistes like Dr. Balamurali Krishna, Lalgudi Jayaraman, Guru Karaikudi Mani, Rajkumar Bharathi, Mandolin  Shrinivas, Bombay  Jayashri,  Sudha  Raghunathan, A R Rahman, Eero  Hameenniemi, Mike Herting, Justin Stanley, Coby Brown, Michael Koehler. He was awarded the Madhura Murali Purashkar by Dr. Balamurali Krishna for being the only Sound Recordist who has specialized in recording Indian Classical Music.

SHASHANK SUBRAMANYAM

A Grammy nominated exponent of the flute, he began performing at a very tender age and at 12 years, was the youngest musician to have performed at the prime slot of The Music Academy in Chennai, a feat no-one has achieved but him. He has performed in several prestigious concert series and institutions and has presented lecture demonstrations in Music Conservatories and Universities around the globe. He has collaborated with John McLaughlin, Paco De Lucia, Tabla Maestro Zakir Hussain, The Jungle Orchestra, to name a few. He has propelled the Bamboo flute into an enviable position by his playing techniques, of which the ‘multi flute transposed fingering technique’ and ‘dual octave production’ have won him world acclaim. He has several Records to his credit, of which the album ‘Floating Point’ featuring him and John McLaughlin won a Grammy nomination in 2009.

PANDIT DEBASHISH BHATTACHARYA

Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya, a legend of the slide guitar is a global inspiration in the contemporary musical scenario and has been mesmerizing audiences and artistes world over for four decades. He has been featured in the bill-board top 10, National Geography, is a World’s who’s who enlisted artiste, 2002 and 2009 Grammy Nominee, 2007 BBC Planet Awardee and has received the 2005 Asiatic society Gold medal and the 1984 President of India Gold Medal. He has created a line of young guitarists, about 3000 of them being his direct and indirect disciples. His unique take on contemporary music as a composer has attracted global legends like Jerry Douglas, Ballake Sissoko, John Mc¬Laughlin, Dris El Maulumi, Ustad Zakir Hussain, and Pt Ravi Shankar. He supports six guitar luthier families in Bengal by providing them his patented designs to produce his instruments and sell them globally. He believes in seeking blessings from almighty to learn and grow every day.

ANJANA RAJAGOPALAN

Anjana Rajagopalan is a 26 year old musician hailing from Chennai. She is training in western classical and Carnatic music under the tutelage of Mr. Augustine Paul and Mr. A. S. Murali respectively. She holds a Licenciate diploma from Trinity College, London in vocal performance. A passionate vocal music teacher, she trains students in western and Indian classical music. She also works with the transgender community, teaching them Carnatic music. She has worked with Mr. V. S. Narasimhan, Smt. Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi and the Madras Musical Association as an orchestra and voice arranger. She trains choirs in Chennai like the Madras Youth Choir. She has shared the stage with several renowned artists from India and other countries right from the very first performance of the Sai Symphony in 2015 and has performed at renowned venues like the Alliance Francaise, Max Mueller Bhavan, Theme Piano World (Bangalore) and the Historische Stadthalle, Wuppertal, Germany. She is currently working towards a Fellow diploma in vocal performance from Trinity College, London. 

BANGALORE SRI AMRIT

Bangalore Amrit is a leading Khanjira artist Percussionist of the world whose power packed performances filled with versatility, speed and intricate pattern presentation merged with aesthetics, grace & beauty have fascinated large audiences and received critical acclaim world over. He has collaborated with international stars like Pandith Jasraj, Ustad Zakir Hussain, A. R. Rahman, George Brooks, Victor Wooten and Andrea Picconi. He is a prime member of the 'Sruthi Laya' ensemble led by Guru Karaikudi Mani and has performed as a solo artist in collaboration with Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Wuppertal symphony orchestra and many others. He is the recipient of several awards, to name a few, ‘Aryabhata Youth Award’, ‘Khanjira Praveena’, and ‘Laya Prathibhamani’. He is contributing enormously towards placing Khanjira as a unique individual instrument in classical and world music.

PAPE SAMORY

Pape Samory Seck roots lay in the capital of Senegal, Dakar in a well-known musicarea: Pikine. He was born in the famous Senegalese “Griot Family“ Seck.

His career started while growing up and learned from his parents and brothers. Later on he studied with famous teachers in Senegal like Mousse Pathe M`Baye, in the Centre Culturel Blaise Senghor and Ecole Nationale des Arts. Since 1997 he has been living in Germany, where he has become one of the most wanted African percussionists. He has formed the groups“ Le Deggo”, „Afrocubral“ and „Seck Brothers“ and was invited as a soloist of music groups like “ Saf Sap”, “Galgi” and “ Gaynde”. Pape has not only travelled Europe, but also Australia, North & South Africa and he performed at the World Expo in China. Not only an outstanding performer, but also a wonderful and creative teacher as over 15 years Pape has inspired many students of African percussion by bringing across a feeling and a way of expressing the culture and tradition of Senegal. Pape is specialized in bringing across the traditional rhythms by not simplifying them for his students but to make them learn in a joyful way the real Senegalese ‘stuff’.