A World in Trance to Host Shahid Parvez and Nitin Mitta

A World in Trance, now in its fourth edition, has been host to some of the world's most captivating music, bringing people together in search of enlightenment and spirituality. On Saturday, April 28th, the world-renowned Ustad Shahid Parvez, one of India's leading sitarists, will appear in a concert of classical Hindustani (North Indian) Indian music. He belongs to an illustrious musical family and has achieved success in not only preserving the tradition, but in pushing its boundaries to greater heights. He is one of the leading exponents of the Etawah gharana (tradition), which was popularized by the great Ustad Vilayat Khan, and belongs to the seventh generation of this musical lineage. He was trained by his father and guru Ustad Aziz Khan, who was the son of the legendary sitar and surbahar virtuoso Ustad Waheed Khansahab. Shahid Parvez was recognized as a child prodigy and started performing in public by the time he was eight years old. He is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the Government of India's Padma Shri and the Sangeet Natak Academy Award. He is accompanied by the dynamic Nitin Mitta, one of the most sought after tabla (drums) players of his generation.

Ustad Shahid Parvez's musical style is distinct. The traditions of the Etawah gharana have remained vital and productive in his hands. His style emphasizes the unique capabilities of the sitar itself, introducing highly energized and rhythmically innovative instrumental play - "tantrakari." At the same time, he has mastered "gayaki ang" - a style of sitar which transfers the emotional directness and tonal nuance of the human voice to his instrument. He has released hundreds of recordings and maintains a rigorous worldwide tour schedule, performing in all of India's major music festivals, and touring the US, Europe, Russia, Canada, the Middle East, Africa, and Australia.

Nitin Mitta has performed worldwide with some of India's most celebrated Hindustani classical musicians, including Pandit Jasraj, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ustad Shahid Parvez, and Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, and with such important Carnatic musicians as Lalgudi G.J.R Krishnan and Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi. He has also collaborated with pianist Vijay Iyer and electric guitarist R. Prasanna, as well as with vocalist Kirin Ahluwahlia, exploring jazz with Indian music. Born and raised in Hyderabad, India, he trained with Pandit G. Satyanarayana and Pandit Arvind Mulgaonkar, both disciples of Ustad Amir Hussain Khan, the legendary doyen of the Farukkhabad school of tabla. He first performed solo tabla at the age of 10, and in his early years won many accolades, including first prize in the All India Music Competition. After moving to the US in 2002, Nitin joined the faculty of the Learn Quest Academy of Music. He has appeared at many important festivals in India, and prestigious venues in the US, including Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Smithsonian (Washington DC) and Royce Hall (Los Angeles). Now a resident of New York City, he is actively involved in teaching, performing, recording, and conducting tabla workshops.

Other concerts in the 4th Annual A World in Trance Festival include the music of Afghanistan featuring Homayoun Sakhi, the outstanding Afghan rubab (lute) player of his generation, with tabla player Nitin Mitta (Apr 27); and mystical Persian classical music featuring virtuoso Hossein Omoumi, one of the foremost Persian ney (flute) players (Apr 29).

This concert is supported in part with public funding provided by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State legislature. Additional funding is provided by the New York Community Trust.

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