K. S. Subramanian: “Vina in Voice in Vina”

Thursday, October 10, 2024 at 4:30pm
Adzenyah Rehearsal Hall, Room 003 (Daltry Room), 60 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown

Free and open to the public

Wesleyan students, faculty, and staff can RSVP on but reservations are not required.

Visit www.wesleyan.edu/cfa/navaratri for a full listing of events.

The 48th annual Navaratri Festival ��ɫ��Ƶ will begin with a Music Department Colloquium talk presented by Dr. Karaikudi S. Subramanian, a ninth-generation vīṇā (stringed instrument) player from the renowned Karaikudi tradition, founder of the Brhaddhvani Research and Training Centre for Musics of the World, and Wesleyan alumnus (MA Music, 1977; PhD Ethnomusicology, 1986).

The vīṇā, one of India’s historic instruments, holds the status of a national treasure. While its origins are ancient, the instrument has evolved into its current form, offering a different perspective to the raga classification through the 72-mela scheme developed by Venkatamakhi (fl. c. 1630). Formally known as the “Saraswathi Vīṇā,” the instrument is referred to simply as the vīṇā in the performance parlance.

In this colloquium, Subramanian will share his perspective as a vīṇā player who continues to toil with ideas to enhance its use across various platforms, despite its decreasing presence in concert performances. While scholars can point out the reasons behind this decline, Subramanian intends to focus on three key dimensions of his ongoing work:

1. His observations and experiments with a fretting system designed to achieve just intonation. Minor adjustments to the frets allow for precise tonal positioning across the 24 frets, resulting in octaval unity.

2. Playing techniques that go beyond traditional stylistic boundaries, making use of the vīṇā's full expressive potential.

3. An exploration of the connection between vīṇā and voice. Subramanian will discuss the metaphorical interplay between the vīṇā and the human body, akin to the “chakras” (spiritual energy centers), and discuss how the vīṇā informs vocal performance.

K.S. Subramanian will also perform a lunchime concert at noon in Olin Library.

This event is part of the 48th annual Navaratri Festival ��ɫ��Ƶ.

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