String theory!

The violin and veena are highlights this month

TYME concert – an orchestra comprising the best young musicians of Melbourne, and their concert was a crisp and polished presentation which would put even some of the best Chennai orchestras into the shade. This was followed by solo concerts from some of Melbourne’s best artistes.

they played were like cascades of melodies flying out of their violins.

TCarnatic music trinity of Thgayaraja, Dikshitar and Shyama

Shastri was held at the Kel Watson Theatre over June 1 and 2, and was organised by the Academy of Indian Music.

Day one began with the traditional singing of Pancharatna kritis of Thyagaraja and a couple of compositions from Dikshitar music teachers and artistes in Melbourne. This two-day festival is a much-anticipated event in the Carnatic music calendar, and besides well-known musicians from Melbourne, there were feature concerts by visiting artistes Sri Vasanthakumar on the veena and AGA Gnanasundaram on the violin.

AGA Gnanasundaram and his son Chaitanyaram performed a violin duet, supported by Hariharan Balasri and Sainivaethan on the mrudangam. Sri Vasanthakumar, a disciple of Pichumani Iyer, presented a solid, traditional veena recital, with Ravichandhira on the mrudangam. It included ragam Bilahari and Gowli pantu

The second day began with a

InConcert Music presented the famed Mysore Brothers violin duo on June 9, at the Wellington Secondary College. The brothers Manjunath and Nagaraj are well known to Melbourne audiences, having come here before. They are renowned for their fast-paced delivery of kalpana swaras and they didn’t disappoint. The bahudhari, vasantha and other kalpana swaras

The highlight of their concert was their Ragam tanam pallavi in Shankarabaranam and Ragamalika. Other ragams and kritis included the rare Nasikabhushani, which they played in a languorous and unhurried style, demonstrating their ability to perform both the drawn out kritis and alapanas, and the super-fast swaras with equal ease. Sridhar Chari accompanied them on the mrudangam

Inconcert Music also presented the Carnatica Brothers and Nithyashree in a double bill on 15 June at the Rowville Secondary College.

Chitra Sudarshan