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 it’s most passionate. From the King’s Court of old to the modern music stage, Vinod continues a 250 year family tradition of Indian flute playing. Whether it’s performing Indian classical music or fusing with folk, Arabic and other world music forms, Vinod’s 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 Vinod’s 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 Empire’s 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