50090 LPO Newsletter.qxp:50090 LPO Newsletter
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Newsletter A regular update on news and events – Spring/Summer 2010
Alec Haylor
A passage to India
Renga performing in London with Scott Stroman and the Karnataka College of Percussion The next twelve months are shaping up to become a year of Indian flavours, beginning with a ten-day tour of India in March/April 2010 by the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Renga ensemble. Along with the Karnataka College of Percussion, Renga will be giving four performances in key Indian cities.
a selection of music in the South Indian ‘Carnatic’ style with jazz and Western classical influences. The ‘Carnatic’ style is based around ancient Indian folk melodies, the pieces often telling stories and expressing feelings that soloists interpret and incorporate into their own improvisations.
A group of highly trained classical musicians from the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Renga works with performers and composers from outside the classical mainstream. Under the leadership of Scott Stroman, the group has developed into a well-respected performance ensemble. The Karnataka College of Percussion was founded in 1978 by vocalist Ramamani and percussionists Ramesh Shotham and T.A.S. Mani, and has since, with the addition of Mike Herting on piano, formed KCP4.
With financial support from the Orchestra’s International Touring Partner, Aviva, Renga will give two performances in Mumbai and one each in Delhi and Bangalore between 30 March and 8 April 2010. High profile Indian venues, such as St Andrew’s Auditorium and the Tata Theatre in Mumbai, and the Kamani Auditorium in Delhi are all ideal performance spaces, holding between 600 and 1,000 people.
The two groups collaborated in April 2009 at a concert at London’s Union Chapel. The performance combined
Renga will also undertake as much education and outreach work as possible during the tour. The daytime workshops will be a unique opportunity for community engagement in a more intimate environment and,
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