SHUBHENDRA & SASKIA RAO – Sitar & Cello Duo

Friday May 30, 2014

Show 8pm
Doors & box office 7:30pm

VCC Music Auditorium

1155 East Broadway
Vancouver, BC
(Vancouver Community College)

The music of Pandit Shubhendra Rao and Saskia Rao-de Haas has been hailed as “taking Indian Music to a brave new era”. New York Times described their music as “movingly meditative”. Together they carry Indian music towards new horizons with their strong belief in the unifying power of music. On stage, their effortless musical communication and improvisation is a joyful experience.

A leading disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar, Shubhendra Rao has been remarked upon as a “musical bridge to many cultures”. Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, guru of Saskia says, ‘Saskia is someone who has been taught by God’. Saskia is a pioneer in the world of music for introducing a new instrument, the Indian Cello, to classical Indian music.

Internationally they have performed at the John F. Kennedy Centre for Performing Arts, Washington DC; Edinburgh festivals, Scotland, Sydney Opera House in Australia, National Arts Festival in South Africa, Fajr International Music festival in Tehran, Theatre de le Ville and Musee Guimet in Paris amongst other major concert halls and music festivals.

In India, they have been invited to the Doverlane Music Conference in Kolkata, Baba Harivallabh Sangeet Mahasabha in Jalandhar, Legends of India festival in New Delhi, Saptak festival in Ahmedabad, Vasanta Habba festival in Bangalore amongst other major music festivals.

Artist Links:
www.shubhendrarao.com
www.saskiarao.com