Gaurav Mazumdar
Gaurav Mazumdar is a versatile composer, performer and educator who has been a champion for the preservation of classical Indian music. He is from a well known family of musicians of Allahabad, in India. His early career began in vocal music followed by the violin, until he was discovered by Ravi Shankar, who inspired him to learn the sitar under his tutelage. Like his teacher, Ravi Shankar, he is committed to cross-cultural collaborations and has earned a reputation as the foremost musician of his generation for his contributions in making Indian music accessible and truly global, both in appreciation and understanding. He has collaborated with numerous western musicians such as Daniel Hope, Philip Glass and Kenny Werner; written compositions and performed with the English Chamber Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, Scottish Symphony, Chicago Sinfonietta, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra among several others. He is the only Indian artiste to have performed at the Vatican. Mazumdar also won a Grammy Nomination in 2004 for his recording 'East Meets West' with Daniel Hope on the violin. When he is not performing he spends his time teaching students worldwide.
Tell us about your early life in your musician family. Why did you initially start out as a violinist? When did you switch to the sitar?
My life was drafted out, or so it seems much before my birth!!! Born into a family of musicians in Allahabad, I started my journey as a vocalist and then moved to the violin, the instrument of my uncle, my father's eldest brother. In 1985, Ravi Shankar heard me play the violin and invited me to move to Delhi to pursue higher musical education, living with him and learning under him in the Guru-Shishya Tradition. It is after this that I switched to the Sitaar.
You compose music as well. Tell us about some of your favorite compositions.
Composing comes quite naturally to me. It starts with humming the tune, which I then record and then write out. Some of my favorite compositions were for the film 'Shwet', with the English Chamber Orchestra, My Sitar Concerto 1- Celebration, and above all, the numerous compositions in traditional raags and taals, where I write the lyrics too.
How did you meet Ravi Shankar?
The Real meeting was when I played for him in his hotel room in my hometown Allahabad in the year 1985.
Talk about his influence on your career?
His influence has been tremendous!!! Living with him was a great experience and exposure and I imbibed every bit of what I could, he being an ocean of knowledge and a true 'Karma Yogi' - Man of Action, who changed the faceof the music world globally and contributed immensely.
““Some of the most beautiful music of the evening came in pieces newly composed by Mazumdar, a timely reminder of Shankar’s genius.””
What prompted you to move to the US? What should we expect from you going forward?
The US has always featured greatly in my tours and my music. I have been based out of the Midwest since the past decade and a half and I have some very dedicated disciples here. I continue to work, travel and teach here and in India, apart from travelling to other parts of the world as well.
““It is also possible to compare the fieriness in Mazumdar’s playing with the blazing performance style that suffused Ravi Shankar’s work during the 1950’s and the 1960’s””
Images courtesy of the artist