Kartik Seshadri
Sitar virtuoso Kartik Seshadri (http://www.kartikseshadri.com) is internationally acclaimed as one of Indias outstanding musicians and the foremost disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar. Kartik was hailed as a child prodigy by critics and prominent musicians when he began performing full-length solo recitals at the age of six. His initial training in music began with Shri Shankar Rao of All India Radio, who nurtured his precocious musical abilities. As a young genius, Kartik had an illustrious performing career, and in 1965 he met the world renowned maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, who was already a profound musical influence in his life. Kartik became a disciple of the maestro in 1974 and has since been receiving talim (knowledge) steeped in the distinctive and pure styles of the senia, beenkar and dhrupad traditions.
Kartiks relentless touring and continued success now make him one of the most sought after soloists in major venues throughout the world. His concerts in India frequently include prestigious festivals such as the Sangeeth Nataka Academy, Dover Lane Music Conference, Madras Music Academy, Gunidas Sangeeth Sammelan, Indian Fine Arts Society, Saptak, and Sangeeth Research Academy (SRA) Music Festival, establishing him as a musician of national importance. In the United States and Canada, Kartiks recent solo engagements have included the Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, World Music Institute, Asia Society, Vancouver Jazz Festival and Ravi Shankars 75th Birthday Celebrations. Kartik has had the added honor of accompanying Pandit Ravi Shankar in major concert halls through-out the world: India, Europe, Middle East, Japan, Mexico and the United States, including Carnegie Hall. His consistently brilliant per-formances are marked for their expressivity, rich tonal sensibility and exciting rhythmic intricacy.
Kartik is also a distinguished composer and educator of Indian music. His composition Quartet for a Raga received its world premiere in Washington, DC under the auspices of the Contemporary Music Forum. He also serves on the faculty at the University of California, San Diego, where he heads one of the largest programs of Indian Classical music in the country.
His latest album Raga Rasa: That Which Colors the Mind was placed in the top ten best albums in the world by Songlinesmagazine (http://www.songlines.co.uk/).
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