APOORVA KRISHNA
70th Annual BMI Student Composer Honorable Mention for original composition “Merging Parallels”
May 17th, 2022 at Tribeca 360, NYC
INTUITION
Apoorva Krishna’s maiden contemporary fusion album “INTUITION” features 8 original compositions combining Indian classical influences and microtones with western harmonies and various genres from over the world including Latin jazz, Flamenco, Western Classical, Waltz, Bluegrass, and Jazz fusion.
ARTIST BIO
Apoorva Krishna is an accomplished South Indian Classical Violinist, in the Carnatic genre of music. She has been trained in the illustrious Lalgudi Bani from Guru Lalgudi Srimathi and Anuradha Sridhar. Apoorva is blessed to have performed with legendary musicians such as John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan, Bombay Jayashri, Aruna Sairam, and Chitraveena Ravikiran to name a few. Apoorva received the prestigious 70th annual BMI Student Composer Honorable Mention for her composition “Merging Parallels” at Tribeca 360, New York. She also received the Young Artiste award from the London Tarisio Trust in 2017, making her the first Indian to have ever received the grant. She won the Kalavanta 2014 award by the Karnataka Fine Arts Council and is the recipient of the Dr M.S. Subbulakshmi Fellowship in Music Award from the Shanmukananda Fine Arts Sabha, Mumbai. Born in New Jersey; of Murali Krishna and Arathi Murthy, and raised in India, Apoorva is an ‘A’ Grade Ranking artiste from the All India Radio, Bengaluru. She graduated from Berklee College of Music, in Masters in Contemporary Performance and was also awarded a Post Master's Fellowship at Berklee Boston. She leads the band 'SANYOG' collaborating Indian classical music with several other genres of World music. Her maiden album, ‘Apoorva Thillanas’, in March 2018 received rare acclaim. Apoorva's original composition ‘Ragamaya’, featured the legendary singer Shankar Mahadevan and was awarded the Third Prize at The Rising Stars Grand Prix International Music Competition 2019, Berlin. She has performed over 500 concerts in India and abroad and has received accolades from prestigious music festivals and competitions at the national and international level. Apoorva was awarded the Sheik Chinna Moulana Yuva Puraskar from the Indian National Reality Show NAADBHED. She has performed at several prestigious venues including the Harvard Business School, The Madras Music Academy, National Centre for the Performing Arts Mumbai, India Habitat Centre New Delhi, ITC Sangeet Research Academy Kolkata, Sony Auditorium Madrid, Bengaluru Gayana Samaja, Bangalore International Centre, Kerala Museum Kochi, Cleveland Aradhana USA, All India Radio & Doordarshan India.
MUSIC
Tu Hi Re with Hariharan Ji & Shankar Mahadevan Ji
Apoorva Thillanas Album
Gulon Mein Rang Bhare with Hariharan Ji
Intuition Album
Collaborations
CARNATIC SOLO RECITALS
MUSIC VIDEOS
Lotus Feet
Words can’t express what feelings and emotions went through me during this experience. It was a dream come true to have had the fortune of being called on stage by the legends themselves- John McLaughlin Ji and Ustad Zakir Hussain to perform the Shakti masterpiece ‘Lotus Feet’.
I would never have imagined it possible! What touched my heart the most was their simplicity, humility, unconditional love, and everlasting friendship.
It was truly a surreal and priceless memory that I will indeed cherish forever.
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En la Corte de Luis
Had the pleasure of collaborating with my dear teacher and friend Polo Orti on his composition En La Corte de Luis XIV, at Berklee Valencia. He inspires me endlessly to play freely and honestly from my heart in whatever musical environment I end up being a part of.
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Rāgamaya
An original composition propagating Indian Carnatic Classical Music with a contemporary touch of arranging through the Grahabedam concept. This single features vocalist Sri. Shankar Mahadevan and comprises of 4 Raga sections starting off with Section 1 in the scale of E comprising of
E F# G# A B C D# (Sarasangi - S R2 G3 M1 P D1 N3) which will also be the only notes used in the melody.
The speciality is that throughout the piece, the tonic note of Scale 1 is shifted in every section to another note in Scale 1 itself, thereby arriving at different Indian scales (2- F#,4-A,5-B).
Scale 1 - Do Re Mi Fa So Le Ti Do-Do Ti Le So Fa Mi Re Do S R2 G3 M1 P D1 N3 S - S N3 D1 P M1 G3 R2 S.
Scale 2 - Do of Scale 2 becomes Re of Scale 1 OR S of Sriranjani becomes R of Sarasangi Re Mi Fa So Ti Do Re - Re Do Ti So Fa Mi Re or S R2 G2 M1 D2 N2 S - S N2 D2 M1 G2 R2 S.
Scale 3 - Do of Scale 3 becomes Fa of Scale 1 OR S of Madhuvanti becomes M of Sarasangi Fa Le Ti Do Mi Fa -Fa Mi Re Do To Le So Fa S G2 M2 P N3 S - S N3 D2 P M2 G2 R2 S.
Scale 4 - Do of Scale 4 becomes So of Scale 1 OR S of Bindumalini becomes P of Sarasangi So Ti Le Ti Do Re Fa So-SoFa SoMi Re Ti Do Re Ti Le So S G3 R1 G3 M1 P N2 S - S N2 S D2 P G3 M1 P G3 R1 S.
After every section, it comes back to the previous sections cumulatively adding the previous section's finale phrase to arrive at section 1 (21,321,4321).
Ragamaya was awarded the Third Prize at The Rising Stars Grand Prix International Music Competition 2019, Berlin.
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Transcend
Through the swaying melodies and delicate microtones of the Carnatic violin along with the rich flavour and genre of Latin-Jazz, Transcend brings about a unique collaboration combining two opposite sides of the world. This single features four-time Grammy nominee and creator of Puerto Rican Jazz, William Cepeda.
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Bahudari
This original composition in the Raga Bahudari was selected by Tarisio London and won the Young Artist Grant 2017.
On the percussion and konakkol : Vinod Shyam and Sunaad Anoor.
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Timeless - Live at Berklee Valencia
This was my first original composition at Berklee in the Raga Vagadishwari (Mixolydian #2). It blends Indian Carnatic melodic and rhythmic concepts with Arabic and Rock influences of music.
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Merging Parallels
During my Post-Masters Fellowship at Berklee College of Music in 2019, I was blessed to perform with John McLaughlin Ji and Ustad Zakir Hussain at the Harvard Business School. I am eternally grateful for John Ji's guidance and mentorship, towards inspiring me to experiment beyond my comfort zone, by fusing my roots in traditional Indian Classical music with Contemporary Western music. I went on to explore composing something new - a Carnatic Thillana over chord changes, through the concept of "Adhara Shruti Bedha Ragamalika", meaning simultaneous tonic and raga/scale shifts. "Merging Parallels" incorporates 18 tonic shifting ragas in Khanda Chapu Thala (5/4 time signature) with mathematical 'Jathi Prayogas' and Sanskrit lyrics in Saramathi Raga. Special thanks to John McLaughlin Ji.
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Blossom
This heartfelt original composition blossoms into new soundscapes through sheer openness and authenticity between a pair of string instruments and blends Indian Carnatic influences with Western harmony incorporating jazz and classical styles.
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Valencia
Valencia blends flamenco, rock, and Indian classical influences of music.
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Inner Voice
Inner Voice is very special to my heart because it was the first song I composed using the piano for the very first time in my life, trying out several voicings and by truly reflecting my feelings of nervousness and excitement at the same time in this wonderful exploration process. This piece has waltz and contemporary influences, blending with my core native original style of Indian classical microtones.
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Tinky Winky
I was inspired to compose Tinky Winky during my time at Berklee where I learned to appreciate and love Jazz music while playing with some of the masters of the craft. This upbeat track although very much Carnatic has a heavy blend of jazz influences that gives it a unique sensibility.
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LIVE PERFORMANCES
Melbourne Recital Centre - Nov 27, 2019
Harvard Business School - Nov 22, 2019
SANYOG India Tour NCPA, Mumbai - Oct 18, 2019
SANYOG Tour Bangalore International Centre - Oct 16, 2019
SANYOG Tour Kerala Museum Kochi - Oct 12, 2019
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