The "Around the World" Music Series presents~~~ THE MYSTIQUE OF THE INDIAN VEENA ~~~featuring veena player Dr. Shiva Sastrywith mridangam accompaniment by Suraj Srinivasan8:00 p.m., Saturday, February 6, 2016North Water Street Gallery 300 N. Water Street, Suite HKent, Ohio$10 suggested donation (or pay what you can)preceded by 7:30 p.m. meet-and-greet featuring light Indian food and drinks (sparkling water and fruit juices) An evening of music from one of the world's great classical traditions: the Carnatic music of South India, performed on the veena by Dr. Shiva Sastry, a member of the Engineering faculty at the University of Akron. Dr. Sastry will present pieces in a wide variety of styles, providing engaging explanations of the music and instruments along the way. Mridangam (barrel drum) accompaniment willl be provided by Suraj Srinivasan of Strongsville, Ohio. An instrument of ancient origin, the veena is a plucked lute about four feet in length with seven steel strings, 24 frets, and a soundbox that is carved out of the trunk of a jackfruit tree. Rarely heard in North America, it is not as well known as the sitar, its North Indian counterpart. In the culture of India, however, the veena holds the special significance of representing all music, being the instrument used by Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of music and the arts. Dr. Shivakumar Sastry is an accomplished veena player trained in the Mysore School. Originally from Bangalore, in the Karnataka state of South India, he has lived in the U.S. for over two decades. He studied under Vidwan H. S. Krishnamoorthy and Vidwan T. K. Govinda Rao, and has given successful and well-received recitals in several U.S. states as well as in India. Dr. Sastry is member of the faculty in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Akron. Suraj Srinivasan began learning mridangam from his mother, Sujatha Srinivasan, at the age of six, and has been receiving advanced training from his guru, Vinod Seetharaman of Michigan, since 2010. He has accompanied several young artists at iCarnatic’s music festivals in Detroit and Chicago, and participated in their Tala Vadya Kutcheris in 2014 and 2015. He has also performed at several concerts and cultural events in Cleveland and Columbus. The winner of several prizes at the Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival, Suraj is currently a sophomore at Strongsville High School. Video showing the veena and mridangam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yv4ea1pFp4 Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1078248695568986/ * * * * * The North Water Street Gallery is conveniently located just a block north of the intersection of Main and Water Streets in Kent, Ohio, with free street parking on both sides of the street. Seating is limited, so arrive early for the best seats. ---------------- The "Around the World" Music Series is a new concert series presenting outstanding musicians from diverse cultures in an intimate setting. Concerts are held approximately every other month in the new theater space of the North Water Street Gallery, conveniently located in downtown Kent, Ohio. The series is an initiative of Standing Rock Cultural Arts, and is curated by ethnomusicologist David Badagnani. Standing Rock Cultural Arts Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/SRCAKent Standing Rock Cultural Arts official site:http://www.standingrock.net/