New York, June 05, 2007
Sant Harkishan Singh
On June 2nd and 3rd, in New York City, as part of the Orchestra
of St. Luke’s “Notable Women Festival: A Celebration
of Women Composers” NRI, Asha Srinivasan, 26, being a doctoral
student at the University of Maryland ranked among the top 15
women composers in the BMI (Broadcast Music,
Inc.) Foundation’s Women’s Music Commission.
In Sep. 2006, She won the Walsum Competition for her string quartet,
Kalpitha. In 2005, she won 2nd Prize in the Prix d'Ete Competition
for her flute and computer piece, Alone, Dancing, which was also
presented at SEAMUS 2005, Pax (2004) for Solo Baritone and a capella
Chorus, Alone, Dancing (2004) for Flute and Electronics
Being NRI, Indian-American, she likes to use her insider's view
on both Western and Carnatic music (classical music of South India)
by infusing her music with Indian pitch materials, while adhering
to Western concepts of form and progression.
According to Patrick Durek, a classical guitarist freelance journalist,
she aims not for uniqueness for the sake of uniqueness, but for
organic, expressive music. As her voice trails upward, indicating
significant time spent pondering the subject, she emphasizes her
philosophy behind composing. Sh said, “I’m really
trying hard just to think about what sounds good to me, what’s
authentic to me, what moves me, without worrying about whether
it’s really ‘new.”
Kalpitha can be viewed as a metaphor of both Srinivasan the person
and Srinivasan the composer: childhood in India, adulthood in
America; Carnatic vocal study as a child, Western classical music
as an adult. Rather than rejecting one, in favor of the other,
she prefers to unite the two. Discussing her dual background,
Srinivasan is content with her hybrid status. “I’m
happy. I don’t want to become ‘Indian.’ I definitely
feel strongly that I’m a true Indian-American, a true combination.
And I love that… That’s one great thing—that
I have both cultures.”
BIO:
Asha Srinivasan, NRI (non-resident Indian) is
based in the Baltimore/D.C. metropolitan area. She had been involved
with music since her early childhood in India. At age 6, she started
taking vocal lessons in Carnatic music.
After moving to the U.S., she was introduced to Western classical
music through the public school system. In high school, she had
the opportunity to take her first Music Theory class. What was
supposed to be theoretical part-writing exercises turned into
compositional experiments for her and thus sparked her passion
for creating music. She was enthralled by the possibilities of
integrating aspects of the Carnatic style into the Western music
idiom. Thus, she draw from both her Western musical training and
her Indian heritage to create her compositional language.
Asha Srinivasan is currently working on her
DMA in Composition at the University of Maryland, College Park,
where she is studying under Dr. Robert Gibson and is an electronic
music teaching assistant. She recently graduated from Peabody
Conservatory a Master's in Computer Music Composition as well
as in Music Theory Pedagogy. She studied there with Dr. Greg Boyle
and Dr. Geoff Wright.
