‘International Passion’ is not just a violin and piano recital; it is a journey through the global landscape of music, showcasing the universal language of emotion and artistry that transcends borders.

 

Presenting art music from around the globe, spanning the tango to Indian classical rāga, as an Indian-American violinist, versed in both Western and Indian classical music, I bring my diverse musical prowess to this recital. More profoundly, through this recital, I express my multi-cultural identity, and the core of my being.  

 

‘International Passion’ begins in the West with French Romantic-era Sonatas, transitions eastward through a rich tapestry of Latin and Middle Eastern melody, and culminates with a vibrant exploration of Indian music. 

 

The listener is left culturally enriched and profoundly moved. In our times of such intense racial division, there is nothing more needed than cross-cultural understanding which this recital embodies.

 

This program features rarely-performed works by canonical and modern composers of various ethnic backgrounds, an improvisation in the Carnatic (South Indian Classical) style, as well the world premiere of Walter Kaufmann’s Violin Sonata No. 4, a synthesis of Indian and Western musical idioms. This program is genre-bending and pushes the boundaries of the modern classical recital program.

 

I use both Western and Indian violins in this performance, which can range from 60-75 minutes.