Artists:
ganavya (India and USA), vocals
Jay Verma (UK), piano
Latvian Radio Choir
Conductor Sigvards Kļava
On 8 December, Dzintari Concert Hall will host a special event as part of the Christmas Festival – “ganavya. A Concert of World Music”, featuring the transdisciplinary scholar, vocalist, word-craftswoman, jalatarangam artist ganavya. She will be joined by the Latvian Radio Choir under the direction of Sigvards Kļava, performing the opus “The stone the tree the well” by contemporary Israeli composer Sivan Eldar.
Her work convincingly combines various musical traditions, from classical Indian music to jazz improvisation and experimental music. Her voice is an instrument of wide expression, commanding both meditative, nuanced soundscapes and soulfully powerful chants. ganavya frequently collaborates with other artists from the jazz and world music communities, pushing the boundaries of the genre and culture. Her music explores philosophical, spiritual and social themes, creating a unique musical experience that is at once traditional and contemporary, creating a sonic world.
In the second part of the concert, ganavya will perform with the Latvian Radio Choir under the baton of Sigvards Kļava to present the composition “The stone the tree the well” by composer Sivan Eldar. Sivan Eldar’s work is characterised by a delicate sound texture that explores the boundaries between electronic and acoustic music. Her compositions have a sensuous nuance and a sophisticated ability to connect the inner human sensations with the outer, spatial sound world. Eldar’s music is often imbued with abstract narratives, intellectual explorations, instrumental and vocal interplay, creating a singular and inclusive acoustic space.
Sivana Eldar’s “The stone the tree the well” is an emotionally and conceptually rich composition that delves into metaphors of the relationship between nature and man. The work reveals a fragile sound world in which natural images – a stone, tree and well – symbolise different aspects of human experience: resilience, the cyclical nature of life and hidden dimensions of depth. The thought-provoking and atmospheric composition is distinguished by Eldar’s characteristic texture, in which acoustic and electronic elements merge into a single sonic fabric. The piece was written in close collaboration with ganavya and premiered in spring 2024 at the Opéra de Rouen with the Accentus Choir, conducted by Sigvards Kļava. This will be the first performance of the work in Latvia.
Described by Wall Street Journal as “among modern music’s most compelling vocalists,” New York- born, Tamil Nadu-raised singer and transdisciplinarian ganavya has released an ambitious new album, Daughter of a Temple, by Nils Frahm’s label, LEITER. It follows her appearance at SAULT’s 2023 live debut in London where, The Guardian wrote, her “voice had a delicate emotive heft that could turn stoics into sobbing wrecks”. Her first single for the label, ‘draw something beautiful’, appeared earlier this year in July.
