As MSN.com noted, 'Ravikiran has consistently expanded on the musical traditions of
India'. His compositions have been performed by top world artistes and orchestras.. Ravikiran is:
The creator of the innovative world music concept,
Melharmony.
First to have created melharmonic arrangements of compositions of classical Indian composers
such as Tyagaraja, Oottukkadu Venkata Kavi and Muttuswami Dikshitar for Western Classical Symphonies, String
Orchestras, Wind Bands as well as jazz & world music ensembles, projecting their works alongside that of Bach,
Mozart and others
The first to have composed pieces with only descending phrases such as
The Haunted Brook in world music.
First to have created a melharmonic 72-mela ragamalika composition for Western
Symphonies featuring the 72 parent ragas of Carnatic music
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The first Indian to have composed
Caprices
for Western solo violin.
Has arranged practice level Indian pieces (Geetams) for primary and mid-level Western classical or jazz instrumental students.
After a few years of 'jamming' with diverse world music artistes, Ravikiran felt the need to create more meaningful music with his global partners. The fundamental difference between the melodic and harmonic approaches to music makes it challenging to compose in a manner that is true to both systems. This stirred Ravikiran to come up with his concept of Melharmony, a melding of Indian melodic principles with Western harmonic ones.
In his own words, Ravikiran has sought to "not merely popularise Indian concerts but Indian concepts". His Melharmonic compositions in ragas like Jyotiswaroopini, Deepakam, Janaranjani, Dhavalambari, Kadanakutoohalam, Saraswati and Nattai, have brought several new melodies to the Western classical and jazz world. However, his rhythmic structures have often challenged artistes and orchestras, prompting him to come up with easily playable music at times. Ravikiran has also woven concepts such as shrutibhedam (modal shift of tonic) and korvai (melo-rhythmic cadenzas) and suggestively used sarali, jantai and alankaras in some of his compositions.
Collaborating with composers such as Robert Morris, Timothy Sullivan and Charles Demyunck on various
of Melharmonic creations, Ravikiran has constantly endeavoured to improve his own perspectives of music from various parts of the world. By his own reckoning, Melharmony is still in a stage of infancy and he plans to work on it over the next few decades.
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