The Contemplative Arts Evening will feature improvisatory collaborations among artists from wide-ranging creative, disciplinary, and cultural backgrounds in celebration of the age-old connection between music, creative arts, and the interior dimensions of human consciousness. Sitarist Srinivas Reddy draws upon his virtuosic grounding in the intricate raga/tala system of Hindustani classical music and opens the evening by bringing the audience into that world. This is followed by various combinations—solos, duets, and full ensemble interactions—among the rest of the group. Guitarist Rob Kaplan weaves together richly textured techno-acoustic sound layering as well as a melodic tapestry that works magically with the deeply meditative sonorities procured by his long-time collaborator, William Heywood, and his Himalayan singing bowls. Flugelhornist Ed Sarath enters the mix from a jazz/world music perspective, and poet Patricia Wallace intersperses her enchanting expressions in verse within the ever-evolving sound scape. The evening closes with a collective improvisation featuring the entire ensemble.
Srinivas Reddy
IIT Gandhinagar
Convening Faculty
Srinivas Reddy is a scholar, translator and musician. He studied classical South Asian languages and literatures at UC Berkeley and currently teaches at Brown University and IIT Gandhinagar. Srinivas is … MORE
Robert Kaplan
Arizona State University
Robert Kaplan is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, teacher, and musician in dance. His work, Living Musically™, uses improvisation as a model or metaphor to understand the world and live well in … MORE
Ed Sarath, PhD
University of Michigan
Ed Sarath, Ph.D., is professor of music and also director of the University of Michigan program in creativity and consciousness studies. He divides his time between teaching, scholarship, performing, composing, … MORE
