THE prestigious SIFAS Festival of Indian Classical Music and Dance will be held between March 24 and April 10.
Organised by the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS) in collaboration with Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, the festival is a much-awaited annual feature in the Singapore cultural calendar attracting an audience of over 8,000 and showcases the best talent, both international and local, in the field of Indian performing arts today.
The 14th edition of this festival will comprise five programmes at the Esplanade featuring artistes of international repute and Kala Vaibhavam, with daily performances at the SIFAS Auditorium featuring more than 50 upcoming local and regional artistes.
International artistes include Carnatic vocal artiste Sudha Ragunathan, bharatanatyam dancer Meenakshi Srinivasan and Hindustani classical vocalist Jayateerth Mevundi.
Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan and Sriram Parasuram, both illustrious violin players, will play a violin duet in the Carnatic and Hindustani styles and Surupa Sen and Bijayini Satpathy are Odissi danseuses from the well-known Nrityagram school of dance in Bengaluru.
A treat is in store for dance connoisseurs as two diverse forms of Indian classical dance will be showcased at the festival. Meenakshi Srinivasan, a consummate bharatanatyam dancer with a dynamic stage presence, will present her unique interpretation of Sita, the heroine of the ancient epic Ramayana.
The audience can also expect to be enthralled by Songs Of Love And Longing, an Odissi dance presentation based on poet Jayadeva’s 12th-century romantic ballad Gita Govinda.
Danseuses Surupa Sen and Bijayini Satpathy have researched and expanded the dance vocabulary of the Odissi dance form and have developed a style that is unique to the Nrityagram School.
The presentations at Kala Vaibhavam will be a diverse mix of classical vocal music, instrumental music and dance for the listening and viewing pleasure of critics, connoisseurs and the general public alike.
SIFAS Festival Of Indian Classical Music & Dance 2016 will be held from March 24 to April 10.
lMadhur Vani – A Musical Interlude: A Hindustani vocal recital by Jayateerth Mevundi.
Tickets: $25 (Sold Out)When: March 26, 7.30pm Where: Esplanade Recital Studio
Anahata – Mystical Sounds Of Music: A Carnatic vocal recital by Sudha Ragunathan.
Tickets: $40, $25
When: April 2, 7.30pm
Where: Esplanade Concert Hall
Sita – Daughter Of The Earth: A solo bharatanatyam recital by Meenakshi Srinivasan.
Tickets: $40, $25
When: April 3, 8pm
Where: Esplanade Theatre
Swar Samhita- A Coming Together: Violin jugalbandi by Lalgudi GJR Krishnan and Sriram Parasuram.
Tickets: $25 (Sold Out)
When: April 8, 7.30pm
Where: Esplanade Recital Studio
Hari Shringara – Songs Of Love And Longing: An Odissi dance performance by Surupa Sen and Bijayini Satpathy.
Tickets: $30
When: April 10, 8pm
Where: Esplanade Theatre Studio
Tickets are available at SISTIC (charges apply). For online booking, log on to www.sistic.com.sg
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