Houston, Texas Aug 3, 2022 (Issuewire.com) - In honor of the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, Indian classical legend Dr. L Subramaniam composed the Mahatma Symphony, premiering in live concerts around the USA in August 2022.
The Mahatma Symphony is a tribute to the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi, who led the Indian independence movement in the method of “ahimsa” or non-violence. This composition is written for a full symphony orchestra, a vocal soloist (Kavita Krishnamurti), and a choir accompanied by a six-member Indian ensemble. It is written in three movements.
- Movement I – Life in South Africa: The first movement will focus on Gandhi’s life in South Africa. After completing his bar at law in England, Gandhi went to work in South Africa, where he lived for twenty-one years. He was thrown out of a first-class railway compartment in Pietermaritzburg, although he had a first-class ticket simply because of his skin color. This instigated him to return to India and fight for freedom. With South African influences and tonalities in symphonic arrangements, the music will depict various important events in his life, including his reactions to rising racial tension.
- Movement II – The Struggle for Freedom: The second movement correlates with Gandhi’s return to India and his love for the country. It incorporates one of his favorite songs – Vaishnava Janato sung by the soloist and the choir. This movement covers his subsequent struggle against British rule, his policy of non-violence, the civil disobedience movement, the fight for freedom, and also the pain of the partition of India. Gandhi’s vision and desire were to free India against British rule.
- Movement III – Independent India: The third movement represents the time of independence and shows the emergence of India post-independence. This also represents the assassination of Gandhi on 30 January 1948. The orchestral compositions weave Indian music with Western and global influences, there is also a trade-off and a dialogue between the percussionists, woodwinds, and string instruments.
Having previously received this honor for the 40th year of India’s independence, Dr. Subramaniam composed “Journey” and performed it with Lord Yehudi Menuhin at the United Nations in New York (in 1987). Subsequently, he was commissioned by different organizations for the 50th, 60th, and 70th-year celebrations.
His recent work Bharat Symphony, which was commissioned by the City of Chicago for the World Music Festival, was premiered in Millenium Park, Chicago, by him and Kavita Krishnamurti (soloist). They have also performed it in different countries, including the UK at the Barbican, Brazil at the Arthur Rubenstein Theatre, Europe at the Great Amber Hall of Latvia, and India as part of the celebrations of the 70th year of India’s independence. Bharat Symphony received critical acclaim from both critics and connoisseurs. It has also been recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Voices.
Kicking off the series of concerts in August, the artists are first scheduled to perform at the Hobby Center alongside the Houston Symphony on August 6th.
Find your concert tickets here:
August 6th - Houston - Tickets Link
August 20th - Cleveland - Tickets link
August 26th - San Diego - Tickets link
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About Dr. L. Subramaniam
Violinist/composer and creator of the Global Fusion concept, Dr. L. Subramaniam has performed/recorded Carnatic Classical Music, Western Classical Music, Jazz, Fusion, and other genres. He has composed for and conducted orchestras scored for films, and collaborated with a wide range of musicians, including many of the greatest from different genres of music, including Lord Yehudi Menuhin, Stephane Grappelli, Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, George Harrison, Al Jarreau, and George Duke, among others.
In addition to being awarded many honorary doctorates for his contribution to the field of music, he holds a Ph.D. for his research in the field of Raga and Harmony. He is also the founder/director of the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival (LGMF), India's biggest global music festival, and the Subramaniam Academy of Performing Arts (SaPa), a premier institute for musical education. He is also the founder/chairman of the Lakshminarayana Global Centre of Excellence (LGCE) with his wife, Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam. The LGCE in collaboration with Jain University and Vishwakarma University offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music. In 2001, he received Padma Bhushan from the Government of India.
Official website - www.indianviolin.com
About Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam – Voice soloist
Undoubtedly one of the favorites of the critics and the masses, Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam’s singing career reads like a fairy tale. Her exquisite and mellifluous voice, wide range, and, versatility in singing different styles and types of songs have put her in a unique place amongst singers, and she has been quoted as a “melody queen” by leading critics and connoisseurs alike.
Although primarily a playback singer, Kavita has not allowed herself to be limited. She has sung with orchestras as a soloist, she has collaborated with Western artists from the Jazz, Popular, and Classical fields. Kavita’s undaunted efforts to excel in the field of singing have brought her several accolades and a large fan following globally. She has received several awards and honors, including the coveted Padma Shri from the President of India, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, in 2005. Prestigious awards include three consecutive Film Fare awards – a feat rarely achieved. She won the “Best Singer of the Millenium” award at the Stardust Millennium 2000 Awards. Kavita has sung as a soloist with orchestras like the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, Leipzig Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, and Liepajas Symphony Orchestra. Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam has enthralled and dazzled audiences from around the world with her stage performances, recordings, and playback singing for the past fifty years, singing more than 20,000 songs in almost all the Indian languages.
Official website - www.kavitaks.com
Media Contact
Subramaniam Entertainment *****@gmail.com
