Samarth Nagarkar and Meghashyam Keshav – Podcast 230

Published: May 11, 2017, 5:56 p.m.

The nineteenth set of the historic, Ragas Live Festival 2016, live at Pioneer Works.  Samarth Nagarkar (vocal), Meghashyam Keshav (tabla), Rohan Prabhudesai (harmonium).  This is a great to chance to experience music created for the sunrise.  It was performed as the first rays broke through the evening sky. Samarth Nagarkar is a Hindustani classical vocalist, known for his captivating performances and richly traditional music. Samarth features in prominent music festivals and venues in India and the US including The ITC Sangeet Sammelan, Kolkata; Chhandayan All Night Concert, The International Fringe Festival and The Drive East Festival, NYC; Maverick Concerts, Woodstock; Ali Akbar College of Music and Basant Bahar, San Francisco; The APAP Showcase at Rockwood Music Hall, NYC; The Kashinath Bodas Music Festival, Pheonix; The Gandharva Festival in New Jersey and Universities like Stanford, UPenn, UPitt and PSU. He has two albums titled ‘Pranali’ and ‘Pravah’ and a book, ‘Raga Sangeet’ to his credit. He has also composed music for major international films and conventions. Samarth is a recipient of the President’s Award for winning the All India Radio’s National Music Competition and a Fellowship from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. He was formerly head of the K. K. Kapoor Sangeet Research Academy in Lucknow and currently teaches at two prominent music schools in New York, and also teaches adjunct lectures and master-classes at schools/universities like MSM and NYU. He is a former scholar of the prestigious ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata and has trained extensively in the strict guru-shishya parampara under two renowned gurus and top ranking musicians - Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar and Pandit Dinkar Kaikini. Pursuing a full-fledged career as a performer, composer, teacher and author, Samarth is described by critics as one of today’s most prolific performers and a torchbearer of the traditions he represents. Ragas Live Festival 2016 is produced with the support of The Rubin Museum of Art