Arohi Ensemble

An American born in Beirut, Lebanon Paul Z. Livingstone is an international performing artist known for his virtuosity on the sitar and a colorful array of stringed instruments including fretless guitars and requintos of his own design. Paul is a dynamic performer in the rigorous improvisational realm of Indian classical music and through the vehicle of his own original ‘ragajazz chamber music’. He has devoted the past 23 years of his musical life to the intensive study of the sitar and the ragas of North India from his teenage days when he lived in India. Paul received his BFA & MFA from Cal Arts learning under Amiya Dasgupta, Rajeev Taranath, John Bergamo & Charlie Haden among others after which he became a protégé of the living legend maestro Ravi Shankar. Livingstone has performed throughout the US, South East Asia, Mexico, Spain and most recently in India when he was recognized in the Calcutta press as
“an Indian soul in white skin”. He has worked with diverse virtuoso artists such as Swapan Chaudhuri, Geetha Bennett, Kenny Burrell, Prince Diabate, Hossien Alizadeh, Ali Jihad Racy, Miroslav Tadic, the Liän Ensemble, and popular artists Ozomatli, Cypress Hill, Alanis Morissette & Rufus Wainright. In addition to leading the Arohi Ensemble he has composed scores for film, television and live theater. Paul is the Founder & Artistic Director of the Sangeet School of World Music in Los Angeles and was also on the music faculty of Cal Arts for 5 years. He has received numerous awards, grants and fellowships for his unique work and leadership in the field of ‘world music synthesis’ as a composer, educator and ensemble leader. His vision to blend and coalesce diverse global traditions into a compelling cross-cultural sound reflects his innermost social, political and spiritual values. Paul online:www.tanpura.com

Abhijit Banerjee is among the premier tabla players of India and is one of the most sought after performers of Indian classical music. For the past twenty years, Abhijit has crafted a unique style and creative approach, which has garnered accolades and awards from all over the world for his sensitivity, skill and deep musicality. Along with his contributions to Indian classical music he has left his mark as a crossover artist, both as a performer and composer. Abhijit has accompanied most of the major figures of Indian music including Pandit Ravi Shankar, the late Pandit Nikhil Banerjee, Begum Parweena Sultana, Pandit Jasraj, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, and Dr. Balamurali Krishnan. As a tabla soloist, he has made his mark through performances and recordings in India & abroad. His crossover work includes collaborations with musicians such as Ry Cooder, Larry Corryell and Trilok Gurtu. Abhijit founded his own touring ensemble TARANG performing his original compositions, and released a CD of the same title. He founded & established Dhwani Academy of Percussion in Los Angeles, New York, Singapore and Calcutta attracting talented students from around the world. Abhijit online: www.abhijitbanerjee.com

Venezuelan born Pedro Eustach is a highly creative multi-instrumental world music performer on solo woodwinds, reeds, a synthesist and composer with a unique, richly eclectic, personal voice. His multifaceted musical fluency is the direct result of years of solid studies and professional experience in the classical European, Jazz, Indian, Armenian, Arab, popular and electronic music forms. He graduated from two European conservatories in classical music, received an MFA from Cal Arts and has studied world music disciplines specifically Indian music with Ravi Shankar and Hariprasad Chaurasia, and Armenian duduk with maestro Djivan Gasparian among others. Mr. Eustache’s professional activities range from solo western classical recitals and symphonic work, to jazz concerts, pop, and world music (both traditional & cross-over), in tours, live performances, recordings & lecturing. He has worked with artists of diverse beckgrounds such as Paul McCartney, Yanni, Alex Acuna, Shakira, James Newton, Anoushka Shankar, Don Henley, Googoosh, Youssou N'Dour, and many others. He was principal solo flute for the Simon Bolivar/Venezuela Symphony Orchestra and has performed as a soloist with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Prague Symphony Orchestra among others. Pedro was the main world woodwinds soloist for ‘Passion of the Christ’ and ‘Munich’ among countless other sessions for film and television. Pedro online: www.pedroflute.com

Partho Sarothy is one of the finest classical musicians from India and a disciple of the legendary Pandit Ravi Shankar with whom he has performed around the world. Blessed with an exceptional artistic temperament, exacting technical precision and a rare aesthetic sensibility, Partho is considered one of the most engaging, intelligent and talented instrumentalists in Hindustani music. His exceptional artistry embodies the true heritage of Hindustani raga music and give