"Music that is at once technically brilliant yet musically cogent, harmonically adventurous yet expressively straightforward." –Chicago Tribune

Rudresh Mahanthappa is a star in New York's jazz scene, and consistently hailed as a modern master by Europe's leading jazz publications. To understand how at once cerebral and sizzling his music is, note the fact that his last recording drew raves from both the venerable jazz journal DownBeat and Science Magazine.

Raised in the United States and drawn to the myriad sounds of his parents' native India, this alto sax player and composer is uniquely positioned to explore the relationship between modern jazz and India's centuries-old, divinely inspired traditions. But he also has been known to explore the relationships between cryptography and music, and once based an entire recording on melodic transcriptions of the indignant replies of Indians from many cultures to the question: "Do you speak Indian?"

For the Festival, Rudresh will perform the world premiere of Samdhi: Diasporic Connections. Sanskrit for "that which unites," Samdhi blends southern India's Carnatic classical music with technology, mixing western and Indian instruments in a dizzying ride 'cross cultures.

Audio Clip: Futher and In Between on Codebook, recording info >>>

JOIN US AFTER THE PERFORMANCE!

* Explore the process of merging cultures in music in a post-performance talk-back with composer/performer Rudresh Mahanthappa.

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