99-017 (Indian Music)
Distributed September 10, 1999
For Immediate Release
News Service Contact: Glenn Hare



Sitar and tabla masters to perform at Brown Sept. 25

Two rising stars of Indian classical music - Krishna Mohan Bhatt, sitar, and Sandip Burman, tabla - will be in concert at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, 1999, in the Salomon Center for Teaching.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The second annual Raagmaala Concert, showcasing the talents of two of Indian's most notable classical musicians, is set for Saturday, Sept. 25, 1999, at 5 p.m. in the Salomon Center for Teaching. The concert will feature sitarist Krishna Mohan Bhatt accompanied by Sandip Burman, tabla, performing North Indian classical music.

Raagmaala is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating the Indian performing arts in southern New England. Its founders, Sanjiv Dhar, a local restaurateur, and Arun Agrawal, have coordinated the program, which is being presented under the auspices of the Brown Music Department.

"Last year was our first opportunity to introduce such fine accomplished artists as these from India. We are so pleased to have performers of this caliber to share their talents with an audience that has been so appreciative," said Agrawal, the event's musical director.

Editors: Photographs of Krishna Mohan Bhatt and Sandip Burman are available online from the News Service. Contact Glenn Hare at (401) 863-2476 for information.

Born into a family of musicians, poets and scholars in Jaipur, Rajasthan, Bhatt was introduced to Indian classical music by his father, the sitarist Shashi Mohan Bhatt. He later studied with Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan. Critically acclaimed in India, he is a winner of the All-India Radio Music Competition and has performed at major music festivals in Delhi, Calcutta and Bombay and at the prestigious Saptak Music Festival in Ahmedabad. He has been honored with the title Sur Mani (Gem of Melody).

A native of Dugapur, Burman began his training on tabla at age 6. He studied with India's most distinguished master, Shyamal Bose. He was awarded a medal of distinction from Rabindra Bharati University in Calcutta and has accompanied leading Indian musicians. Burman also has recorded and performed with numerous jazz and world music artists and contributed to the movie score of Tim Burton's Mars Attack! Recent performances in this country include the opening event of the Getty Museum in California, a solo performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and the Baltimore International Rhythm and Drumming Society festival. He is currently a visiting faculty member at the Rotterdam Conservatory in Holland.

The Salomon Center is located on The College Green. Tickets are $15 for the general public and $5 for students with identification. For more information, call Arun Agrawal (508) 676-5706.

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