ROHAN KRISHNAMURTHY



Performing for the President of India Rohan received a rare invitation to meet and perform before the President of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam, at his presidential office and estate in New Delhi on July 10th. In his 30-minute one-on-one meeting, the President asked about his performances, community outreach efforts in the USA and India, and other musical and academic activities and ambitions. A world-renowned scientist and connoisseur of the arts, Dr. Kalam closely examined Rohan’s new mridangam design and was impressed by Rohan’s modified fastening system, which he noted makes the ancient instrument more user-friendly and durable. Rohan was then requested to present a private performance to demonstrate the tonality of the instrument, upon which the President remarked, “You are an expert in your field and are doing wonderful things to bridge cultures through music. You have a very bright future!” The President presented Rohan with a special souvenir and his autographed book, Indomitable Spirit, as well as signed Rohan’s latest Layopasana albums.
A New Design of the Mridangam Rohan's two-year summer research project on the construction of the mridangam resulted in a radically new design of the ancient instrument. His user-friendly design combines modern technology with traditional aesthetics and allows for greater ease and range in tuning, do-it-yourself head replacement, etc. A full description of the design will be published in the prestigious music journal Percussive Notes in August 2006. Rohan intends on patenting the design and making it commercially available by early next year.Click here to catch a glimpse of the article.

K's Indian Percussion Ensemble Launched in Spring 2005, this unique ensemble brings together students from K College, nearby institutions, and the general community in the common study of Indian Classical Music and Percussion. Students receive hands-on training in various forms of Indian percussion and practice on four custom-made mridangams and khanjiras (Indian frame drums) Rohan helped acquire for K College. The College-accredited ensemble, which lasts the duration of the academic quarter, culminates in an interactive public performance. The initiative was spotlighted on "Positively Michigan" on WWMT, a local CBS affiliate. Mridangam Collaborations The Kalamazoo College and Community Orchestra (KCCO) was thrilled by Rohan's brief but scintillating performance at a fall admissions gathering. Rohan, along with conductor Dr. Barry Ross and emeritus K professor of music Dr. Elizabeth Start created a piece that would become a one-of-a-kind mridangam concerto.

"Echoes" is a maverick composition that features vivid musical interplay between the soloist and orchestra, as well as an extended mridangam cadenza. The piece has been performed in numerous prominent regional venues and was spotlighted as part of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra's "Youth Concerts" in March 2006. The event attracted over 13,000 elementary schoolchildren and staff from all across Southwest Michigan.

Click here to listen to the world premiere of "Echoes" on June 5th 2005 with the Kalamazoo College and Community Orchestra at Kalamazoo College.

The unprecedented success of "Echoes" inspired the creation of a second mridangam concerto, "Maathras," in Spring 2006. The piece for mridangam and string orchestra was composed with Dr. Keith Murphy, visiting professor of music at Kalamazoo College, and was premiered at the Washington Square Retire Home in May 2006.

The latest in Rohan's mridangam collaborations is "Migration," a pointillistic composition by Dr. Elizabeth Start for a unique mridangam, violin, and piano ensemble. The piece was premiered at the annual Kalamazoo College Alumni and Donor gathering in June 2006.

K's Lecture and Performance Series

K's Indian Classical Music Lecture and Performance Series was established by Rohan in Spring 2005 with the mission of exposing and educating the greater Michigan community to Indian Classical music through lecture-demonstrations by guest scholars and public performances by eminent musicians.

The series has so far featured distinguished scholars like Dr. David Nelson, Artist in Residence of South Indian Percussion at Wesleyan University, Dr. Stephen Rush, Professor of Dance and Performing Arts Technology at the University of Michigan, as well as world-class musicians like the "Mozart of Indian Music" slide guitarist Chitravina N. Ravikiran, Indian Congressional Medal of Honor-winning violinist Prof. T.N. Krishnan, and leading Indian bamboo flutist Dr. N. Ramani.

The events attract over 250 audience members from the campus, community, and other cities, have received average ratings of 5 out of 5 from attendees, and have been repeatedly aired on Michigan Radio, an NPR affiliate.
Check out Rohan's schedule for upcoming events at K and more.