Shashank Subramanyam

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Shashank Subramanyam
Background information
Birth name Shashank Subramanyam
Born (1978-10-14) October 14, 1978
Hassan district, Karnataka
Genres Carnatic music
Occupations Musician / Instrumentalist
Instruments Venu flute
Years active 1984–present
Website Official site
Notable instruments
Venu flute, Bamboo flute (Bansuri)

Shashank Subramanyam is a Grammy nominated renowned exponent of the Bamboo Flute from India and specializes in Indian Classical Music.[1] He was a child prodigy and began performing from his age of 6 in 1984 and has performed in the top circuit for over 25 years now.

Early life

Shashank Subramanyam born in a Sankethi family in Rudrapatna, India to Hemalatha and Subramanyam. He was trained by his father and by vocalists R.K. Srikantan, Palghat K.V. Narayanaswami, and Hindustani music under Pandit Jasraj.[2] Shashank is married to Shirisha, a Bharatanatyam dancer. Shashank and Shirisha have a daughter "Swara" and live in Chennai, India.[3]

Hobbies

Shashank Subramanyam's main hobby is aviation and has often remarked that he would have been a pilot if he was not a musician. He also has a deep passion for antiques, cars and traveling.

Performing career

Shashank performed for the general public in 1984 for the first time at the age of 6.
An young Shashank at his Six - 1984
Shashank began performing at the top circuit in 1990 with major performances in Adelaide, Australia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and in Singapore followed by his major performance at Shastri hall in Dec of 1990.[4] His career-defining moment came when the Music Academy invited Shashank, just 12 years old, to perform in the senior most performance slot "SADAS concert" at The Music Academy, Chennai January 1, 1991 - a record that is yet to be broken.
Shashank Subramanyam performing the Sadas concert at The Music Academy. Jan 01, 1991
Shashank has been a senior flautist in the field of Carnatic Music and has collaborated with host of musicians from India and around the world including John McLaughlin, Paco De Lucia, The New Jungle Orchestra, Mikkel Nordso, Merlyn Mazur, Ustad Shahid Parvez, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Ustad Sultan Khan, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Ronu Mazumdar, Ustad Shujaat Khan,[5] Debu Choudhury

Shashank performs in a wide range of concert environments from the pure Indian classical, Symphonies, Jazz and cross over projects. He has led many ensembles and also has been a guest artist on many famed bands.

Style

Shashank’s main style is Carnatic classical but incorporates patterns of improvisation from Hindustani music and uses a range of flutes to cover octaves that are not supported by the traditional Carnatic flute. Shashank is known for his intricate and intense alapanas (Improvisations), melodious keerthana ( composition) renderings and pulsating kalpanaswaram (Faster and rhythmic improvisations). His concerts generally include a Ragam Tanam Pallavi as a central piece, normally composed by Shashank himself. Shashank has used the technique of multi flute transposed fingering technique and dual octave production.[6]

The BBC World TV did a documentary on Shashank titled Destination Music, recently.

Pandit Ravishankar, Balamuralikrishna, Shashank

Awards and recognition

Grammy Nomination for the album Floating Point with John McLaughlin - 2009

Kalaimamani' the prestigious state award / title from the Tamil Nadu Government in the year 2000.

A Top ranking in the All India Radio and Doordarshan (TV).

Empaneled artist of the ICCR under Outstanding and senior category since 1995.

Kuzhal Arasar by Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Chicago.

Shashank was awarded a direct A" Grade ranking in the All India Radio and Doordarshan (TV) in 1993 at his age of 13.

The National Integration Award ( Spirit of Unity series) - 1991.

Rotary awards of excellence 1995 and 1997.

Major Performances

Rashtrapathi Bhavan (The President's Palace at New Delhi),

H.E. President of India R. Venkatraman honouring Shashank - 1992
Shashank in performance with Ustad Zakir Hussain - Tabla - 2007
Sawai Gandharva Festival-Pune,
ShashankwithBhimsenJoshi
Ganga Mahotsav-Haridwar, Saptak_Ahmedabad, Navi Mumbai Sageet Utsav, Skopje Jazz Festival - Macedonia, NCPA - Mumbai, Vishnu Digambar Festival-Delhi, Ravishankar Center-Delhi, Harivallabh Sangeet Samora-Jallandhar, the Music Academy-Chennai, Chowdiah Memorial Hall-Bangalore, India Music Group - Bombay, The Mysore Palace Ramakrishna Mission-Calcutta, Dover Lane Festival Calcutta, ITC SRA Festival-Delhi, Krishna Gana Sabha-Chennai, The Smithsonian, Kennedy Center and National Academy of Sciences in Washington D.C., J. Paul Getty Hall -Hollywood, Cerritos Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles, Eastman School of Music - Rochester, World Music Institute - New York, Asian Art Museum - San Francisco, Amadeus Mozart Conservatory-Salzburg, Austria, UC Los Angeles, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, San Diego State University, UC Irvine, Arizona State University - Tempe, University of Arizona-Tucson, University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas at Arlington, Texas Tech-Lubbock, University of North Texas-Denton, University of Chicago, University of West Virginia, University of Illinois - Urbana, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Maryland-College Park, University of Florida-Jacksonville, University of North Carolina-Greensboro, Duke University- Durham, North Eastern University - Chicago, North Western University- Evanston, Royal College of Music - London, Leicester University - UK, University of Washington - Seattle, University of Washington - Pullman, University of Oregon - Eugene, Oregon State University - Corvallis, University of Oklahoma-Norman, Carniegi Melon University-Pittsburgh, Harvard and MIT at Boston, Wesleyan University- Connecticut, Yale University, Stanford University, University of Cincinnati, Rice University-Houston, Florida State University - Tampa, Drexel University, Drake University-Des Moines, Iowa State University-Ames, Colgate University, University of Pennsylvania- Philadelphia, Rutgers University-NJ, Texas A&M College Station, St. Thomas University-Houston, University of Louisiana-New Orleans, University of Alabama, Cornell University, Amherst College, Emory University - Atlanta, Georgia Tech, University of Tenn-Knoxville, Berkeley College of Music-Boston, SUNY Buffalo, Concordia University-Montreal, University of Calgary, Guilford College, Arizona State University-Flagstaff, Lausanne Conservatory-Switzerland, Xebec Hall and Across Fukuoka in Kobe and Fukuoka, Japan, Women's University- Osaka, Japan, Tsuyama Jazz Festival-Japan, Hong Kong Museum of Art - Hong Kong, World Flute Conference - Nashville, Theater De- La-Ville, UNESCO & Musee Guimet in Paris -France, Tropical Institute - Amsterdam, Music Gebou-Amsterdam, Rasa house of World Culture-Antwerp-Belgium, University of NSW, Sydney, Mcquarie University-Sydney, Monash University-Melbourne, University of Darwin, SUNY-Long Island, Judith Wright Center- Brisbane, Port Fairy Folk Festival-Australia, Darwin Entertainment Center-Darwin, University of Auckland, New Zealand, Richard Strauss Conservatory-Munich, WDR-Cologne, Bayriche Radio - Munich and Nurnberg, Rytmisk Conservatory-Copenhagen, Opera House-Copenhagen, University of Uppsala-Sweden, The Club in Oslo-Norway, International Book Fair-Torino-Italy, World Sacred Music Festivals- France, Germany and Belgium, The Lowry in Manchester-UK, The Sage in Gateshead - UK, Modigliani Hall -Padova-Italy, Museum Rietberg -Zurich, The Munchen Residency in Munich-Germany, SLF Auditorium, Singapore, Singapore Radio, Esplanade Theater-Singapore, Putra World Trade Center - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, The Adelaide Festival- Australia, Improvisation Festival in Lausanne - Switzerland, Seoul Plaza in Seoul - Korea, Les Oriental Festival -France, Festival of Nantes-France, Abbaye Royal Du Fontevraud in Samur -France, Royal Society Flute Conference in Manchester-UK, Oriental Festival in Evora, Portugal, The Meyrin Forum in Geneva, Trondheim Festival, Norway and a host of other institutions across the world.

Countries visited

US, Canada, UK, Macedonia, Spain, Portugal, France, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, South Africa, Kuwait, Bahrain, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong and Korea.

Discography

He has released over 60CDs and 6 DVDs.

  • Spirit of Krishna - Shashank and the Folk Musicians of Rajasthan - 2012
  • RoR Touch Part 2- a Fusion album - EMI / India Beat Records - 2008
  • Sundara - DVD - 2010
  • Mohana - DVD- 2010
  • Sundara - CD - 2010
  • Mohana - CD - 2010
  • Live at the Playhouse - Copenhagen Jazz Festival - Jazz CD - 2009
  • RoR Touch - a Fusion album - EMI / India Beat Records - 2008
  • Floating Point with Legendary Guitarist John McLaughlin
  • Bindumalini
  • Josh - Live concert held at Saptak, Ahmedabad - CD 1
  • Josh - Live concert held at Saptak, Ahmedabad - CD 2
  • Utsav - Celebrations of Indian Classical Music - Shashank by Music Today - DVD - 2007
  • Enchanting Hamsadhwani
  • Utsav - Music Today Masters of Indian Music - DVD intro by Pandit Jasraj
  • Raag Lathangi
  • Rasayana - Flute and Sitar in a dialogue - CD 1
  • Rasayana - Flute and Sitar in a dialogue - CD 2
  • Margazhi Melodies - Live Concert 2004 - CD 1
  • Margazhi Melodies - Live Concert 2004 - CD 2
  • Kalarasana - Live in Chennai - CD 1
  • Kalarasana - Live in Chennai - CD 2
  • Kalarasana - Live in Chennai - CD 3
  • MOKSHA - Salvation
  • FLIGHTS OF ECSTASY - 2005
  • INTUITVE MINDS- The lute and Bamboo in a dialogue - CD 1
  • INTUITVE MINDS- The lute and Bamboo in a dialogue - CD 2
  • KRISHNA SMARANAM - DVD
  • ANUBHAV - DVD
  • KRISHNA SMARANAM - CD 1
  • KRISHNA SMARANAM - CD 2
  • PULLANKUZHAL OF SOUTH INDIA - KING RECORDS
  • MUSIC ACADEMY, MADRAS - CD 1 - Live
  • MUSIC ACADEMY, MADRAS - CD 2 - Live
  • MUSIC ACADEMY, MADRAS - CD 3 - Live
  • SAMMILAN - North and South in a melting pot
  • MEDITATIVE SPELL
  • THE BAMBOO IN A DIALOGUE
  • MOONLIT MELODIES - MUSIC TODAY
  • FLUTE FANTASIA - NAVRAS RECORDS
  • REMINISCENCE OF BRINDAVAN
  • MOMENTS OF ECSTASY - CD 1
  • MOMENTS OF ECSTASY - CD 2
  • God has many names - Swiss text book CD - 1995
  • Endless beauties from the Bamboo - 1994 - CD 1
  • Endless beauties from the Bamboo - 1994 - CD 2
  • Melodies from the Bamboo Flute - Album 4 - 1993
  • Melodies from the Bamboo Flute - Album 3 - 1993
  • Melodies from the Bamboo Flutes - Album 2 - 1992
  • Melodies from the Bamboo Flutes - Album 1 - 1991

References

  1. ↑ http://www.hindu.com/ms/2006/01/10/stories/2006011000240400.htm
  2. ↑ http://www.shashank.org/images/pressclips/thehindu2009innovativejourney.htm
  3. ↑ http://www.narthaki.com/info/reviews/rev302.html
  4. ↑ http://www.shashank.org/images/pressclips/th90.jpg
  5. ↑ http://www.shashank.org/shashank2.html
  6. ↑ http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2004/01/02/stories/2004010201911000.htm

External links

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