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Vinod
Prasanna bansuri (bamboo flute)
Dheeraj Shrestha tabla (paired drum)
 
Indian flute virtuoso, Vinod Prasanna's
soulful, captivating and absolutely inspiring
Indian classical music at its most passionate.
From the Kings Court of old to the modern
music stage, Vinod continues a 250 year family
tradition of Indian flute playing. Whether its
performing Indian classical music or fusing
with folk, Arabic and other world music forms,
Vinods performance is mesmerizing. In
solo, duo or fusion performances, Vinod charms
audiences with his passion and technical brilliance.
He performs throughout India and now, Australia.
Vinod performed with inspiring tabla player,
Glen Kniebeiss, to great acclaim at the Bellingen
Global Carnival in October 2008.
The Sahara All-India Flute Competition awarded
Vinod as their 2006 winner. He currently resides
in Melbourne where he performs, teaches and
captivates audiences with his magical flute.
To listen to Vinods flute, is to enjoy
a soulful journey into another world. His music
will leave you spellbound.
Vinod is currently residing in Melbourne, where
he performs, teaches and records. As a performer
of Bansuri in Australia, Vinod is unrivalled.
He has joined musical forces with inspiring
tabla player, Glen Kniebeiss. Vinod and Glen
are two virtuoso musicians with a shared love
of Indian music. From the sublimely meditative
to cascading unison passages, their performance
will journey you from the ancient to the contemporary,
leaving you spellbound! Vinod is also giving
performances with Girish Makwana and Nicholas
Buff, who together perform classical fusion
music, a unique blend of Indian classical music
and other music styles.
Vinod is fast establishing himself in the performing,
recording and teaching scene. Contact Vinod
on 03 9754 2359 or 0420 44 73 73 for concert,
event, festival, recording and teaching enquiries.
Influences
Vinod hails from the famous Prasanna family,
renowned for nurturing flute and shenai playing
for more than two and a half centuries, Vinod
has inherited and developed technical brilliance
and emotional sensitivity that delivers a passionate
and powerful style of playing.
Vinod's late grandfather, Pandit Vishnu Prasanna,
introduced him to the art of flute (bansuri)
playing. In more recent years, Vinod's uncle
and acclaimed musician Pandit Rajendra Prasanna
has taught and inspired his playing. Although
Vinod specialises as a solo artist, he is equally
proficient at duo and fusion combinations, intertwining
classical indian music styles with jazz, folk,
arabic and other world music forms.
In India Vinod performs and teaches in his
home-city of Varanasi,aand has performed throughout
India in Delhi (including Folkdance Festival),
Himachal, Mirjapur and Bihar. He has also played
music in religious programs, including Bhagavad
Gita recitals and Sri Hare Krishna Mission ceremonies
and Vinod has performed throughout Nepal, France,
Germany and now, Australia.
Vinod's style takes the listener on a musical
and spiritual journey, and on listening to his
emotive Ragas audiences are often deeply moved
by his authenticity and the stirring beauty
of such music.
Dheeraj Shrestha is recognized as the
foremost classical tabla player in Australia
and is now based in Brisbane. As a performer
he has established himself, worldwide, as one
of the finest exponents of tabla.
Technically Dheeraj Shrestha is unsurpassed
as a stylist and his easy flowing style of playing
sets him apart from other players of international
renown. He is an accomplished soloist and a
versatile (contemporary and traditional) accompanist.
An irrepressible creativity, tremendous clarity
and exciting rhythmic improvisation spontaneity
are his stylistic hallmarks.
Dheeraj Shrestha tours the world and Australia
each year. Already in 2006 he has performed
with Jeff Lang at WOMAD and at the Melbourne
Commonwealth. Highlights of his 2005 world tour
include performances at the Royal Albert Hall,
London in the presence of Prince Charles and
at the renowned Smithsonian Institute in Washington
DC. Dheeraj is conversant with various forms
of music besides Indian/ Nepalese classical
and folk, for example jazz, blues, and flamenco.
He is renowned for introducing the shades of
variation that the tabla creates and breaks
down some of the complex rhythms in his tabla
workshops and private lessons. His current projects
include Rhythm Sutra, collaboration with Afro
Dizzi Act drummer Mark Henmann where two virtuosos
rewrite the rhythmic doctrine, as East meets
west and in a seamless exploration of synchronization
and syncopation, Flamenco-Indo-Jazz. Lior. 2009
/ 2010 has been big success collaborating with
the Cat Empires front man & trumpet
player Harry J Angus called The Harry
James Angus & Dheeraj Shrestha project
thru Melbourne Jazz Festival to Brisbane Music
Festival at the SPIEGELTENT which was the most
sell-out act for 2010.
Dheeraj Shrestha is a core member of award-winning
Dya Singh World Music Group. Dheeraj Shrestha
is renowned for his innovative teaching methods.
He has presented beginner workshops to festivalgoers
as well as advanced lecture demonstrations to
music students at the Queensland Conservatorium
of Music.
He received his training in classical and contemporary
music, graduating from the Prayaag Sangeet Samiti
Allahbad, India. He has worked as a professional
musician for almost 20 years and taught at the
Fine Art College, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu,
QUT and Adelaide TAFE College. Contact: 0423
047 365 tablaworkshop@hotmail.com
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