Ancient Future Duet Northern California Concert Tour
Featuring World Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort and Tabla Virtuoso Vishal Nagar
Friday, January 10, 2014, 8 PM
The Sunflower Center 1435 N. McDowell Blvd., Suite 100 Petaluma, California 94954 Tix: $12 advance, $15 door. Advance tix at https://ancient-future-sfc.eventbrite.com Info: Call 707-792-5304 or email [email protected]
Saturday, January 11, 2014, 8 PM
Trinity Chamber Concerts Trinity Chapel 2320 Dana Street between Bancroft Way & Durant Avenue Berkeley, CA 94704 Tix: $15 general, $10 senior/disabled/student. No one turned away for lack of funds. Info and reservations: 510-549-3864 or email [email protected]
Sunday, January 12, 2014, 7 PM
Don Quixote's International Music Hall 6275 Highway 9 Felton, CA 95018 Tix: $12 advance, $15 door. Info: Call 831-603-2294 or email [email protected]
Strains of passionate flamenco and ethereal Indian raga emanate from this improvisatory duet featuring world guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort accompanied by renowned Indian tabla virtuoso Vishal Nagar. The program will feature music from the ground breaking world music recordings of Ancient Future along with serenades from Matthew Montfort's solo guitar releases: Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar and Sympathetic Serenade, for which he was lauded as one of the world's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists.
Celebrating its 35th year in 2014, Ancient Future is the world's first and longest running ensemble dedicated to world fusion music, with dozens of programs featuring master musicians from around the world. Their guitar and tabla duet program has appeared in a variety of settings, from the huge audience (police estimate of 35,000 people) at the Summer of Love 30th Anniversary Celebration in San Francisco to the Festival Internacional de la Guitarra on the golden coast of Spain near Barcelona.
Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard and fretless guitars)
The leader of the world music group Ancient Future, Matthew Montfort, released his first solo recording, Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar, in 2009. He is a pioneer among guitarists who have had their fretboards scalloped in order to play various forms of world music that require intricate note-bending ornaments while still being able to play chords. Montfort immersed himself in an intensive study with vina master K.S. Subramanian in order to fully apply the South Indian gamaka (note-bending) techniques to the guitar. He is recognized as one of the world's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists by DigitalDreamDoor.com, a curated “best of" site, along with such luminaries as Michael Hedges, Leo Kottke, Chet Atkins, John Fahey, Merle Travis, John Renbourn, Tommy Emmanuel, Doc Watson, Pierre Bensusan, Alex De Grassi, and Peppino D'Agostino. The December 2009 Les Paul issue of Guitar Player Magazine includes a full page feature on Matthew Montfort with a corresponding GuitarPlayer.Com video and lesson entitled “The Music of Jimi Hendrix Applied to Indian Raga." He has performed concerts worldwide, from the Festival Internacional de la Guitarra on the golden coast of Spain to the Festival of India in Mumbai. He has performed live on national radio and TV shows such as the Echoes Living Room Concerts on Public Radio International, and the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. He has worked with many world music legends, including tabla phenomenon Zakir Hussain and Chinese zither master Zhao Hui. Montfort wrote the book Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: Rhythmic Training Through the Traditions of Africa, Bali, and India, which has been used by many musicians to improve their rhythm skills.
Vishal Nagar (tabla)
“He has magic in his hands" - Hindustan Times
Vishal Nagar is considered one of the most gifted tabla players of his generation. Born into a family of musicians, Vishal has been surrounded by music in an extremely musically creative and artistic environment. Since childhood, he has been fascinated by tabla and began to play at an early age. Vishal had his initial training for a very brief period with the late Ustad Latif Ahmed Khan of the Delhi Gharana. After his Ustad's untimely demise, Vishal continued his training under the guidance of Ustad Shamim Ahmed Khan of the same Gharana (school). Along with the dense and rare tabla repertoire taleem which was he received from his Ustad, he also has had intense rhythmic (layakari) training from his mother, the renowned and highly respected Kathak dancer and vocalist, Urmila Nagar. Vishal has been praised in the Indian press for his unique combination of melodic tabla sound production with masterful command of rhythm.
Vishal has had the privilege of performing with many renowned artists: Ustad Shujaat Khan, Guru Urmila Nagar, Vidhwan Trichur Ramachandran, Pandit Ramesh Misra and Miss. Kala Ramnath, to name a few. Vishal has also had the honor of sharing the stage with some great world music masters such as African drum legend Babatunde Olatunji, Michel Shrieve, Evyind Kang, Carmona Flamenco, and Michael Wimberley, to name few. Vishal has also expanded his cultural boundaries and collaborated with musicians from around the world. Some of his memorable works have been with the Ghanaian Guitarist Koo Nimo with whom he also appeared in WOMAD USA (a leading world dance and music festival started by Peter Gabriel). Starting his performance career at the age of eight in Patna, Vishal has performed around the globe including performances in many cities in India, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Thailand and the United States. Vishal has also been awarded with the Ministry of Culture Scholarship from the Department of Culture.
In his journey as a musician, Vishal feels that music and art are truly an ocean of knowledge and an expression of feelings and emotions. He aspires to serve the Indian music and arts through his medium of expression, the language of tabla, and hopes that he will be able to give due respect, dedication, and devotion to this great art form of his country, India.
Featuring World Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort and Tabla Virtuoso Vishal Nagar
Friday, January 10, 2014, 8 PM
The Sunflower Center 1435 N. McDowell Blvd., Suite 100 Petaluma, California 94954 Tix: $12 advance, $15 door. Advance tix at https://ancient-future-sfc.eventbrite.com Info: Call 707-792-5304 or email [email protected]
Saturday, January 11, 2014, 8 PM
Trinity Chamber Concerts Trinity Chapel 2320 Dana Street between Bancroft Way & Durant Avenue Berkeley, CA 94704 Tix: $15 general, $10 senior/disabled/student. No one turned away for lack of funds. Info and reservations: 510-549-3864 or email [email protected]
Sunday, January 12, 2014, 7 PM
Don Quixote's International Music Hall 6275 Highway 9 Felton, CA 95018 Tix: $12 advance, $15 door. Info: Call 831-603-2294 or email [email protected]
Strains of passionate flamenco and ethereal Indian raga emanate from this improvisatory duet featuring world guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort accompanied by renowned Indian tabla virtuoso Vishal Nagar. The program will feature music from the ground breaking world music recordings of Ancient Future along with serenades from Matthew Montfort's solo guitar releases: Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar and Sympathetic Serenade, for which he was lauded as one of the world's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists.
Celebrating its 35th year in 2014, Ancient Future is the world's first and longest running ensemble dedicated to world fusion music, with dozens of programs featuring master musicians from around the world. Their guitar and tabla duet program has appeared in a variety of settings, from the huge audience (police estimate of 35,000 people) at the Summer of Love 30th Anniversary Celebration in San Francisco to the Festival Internacional de la Guitarra on the golden coast of Spain near Barcelona.
Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard and fretless guitars)
The leader of the world music group Ancient Future, Matthew Montfort, released his first solo recording, Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar, in 2009. He is a pioneer among guitarists who have had their fretboards scalloped in order to play various forms of world music that require intricate note-bending ornaments while still being able to play chords. Montfort immersed himself in an intensive study with vina master K.S. Subramanian in order to fully apply the South Indian gamaka (note-bending) techniques to the guitar. He is recognized as one of the world's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists by DigitalDreamDoor.com, a curated “best of" site, along with such luminaries as Michael Hedges, Leo Kottke, Chet Atkins, John Fahey, Merle Travis, John Renbourn, Tommy Emmanuel, Doc Watson, Pierre Bensusan, Alex De Grassi, and Peppino D'Agostino. The December 2009 Les Paul issue of Guitar Player Magazine includes a full page feature on Matthew Montfort with a corresponding GuitarPlayer.Com video and lesson entitled “The Music of Jimi Hendrix Applied to Indian Raga." He has performed concerts worldwide, from the Festival Internacional de la Guitarra on the golden coast of Spain to the Festival of India in Mumbai. He has performed live on national radio and TV shows such as the Echoes Living Room Concerts on Public Radio International, and the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. He has worked with many world music legends, including tabla phenomenon Zakir Hussain and Chinese zither master Zhao Hui. Montfort wrote the book Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: Rhythmic Training Through the Traditions of Africa, Bali, and India, which has been used by many musicians to improve their rhythm skills.
Vishal Nagar (tabla)
“He has magic in his hands" - Hindustan Times
Vishal Nagar is considered one of the most gifted tabla players of his generation. Born into a family of musicians, Vishal has been surrounded by music in an extremely musically creative and artistic environment. Since childhood, he has been fascinated by tabla and began to play at an early age. Vishal had his initial training for a very brief period with the late Ustad Latif Ahmed Khan of the Delhi Gharana. After his Ustad's untimely demise, Vishal continued his training under the guidance of Ustad Shamim Ahmed Khan of the same Gharana (school). Along with the dense and rare tabla repertoire taleem which was he received from his Ustad, he also has had intense rhythmic (layakari) training from his mother, the renowned and highly respected Kathak dancer and vocalist, Urmila Nagar. Vishal has been praised in the Indian press for his unique combination of melodic tabla sound production with masterful command of rhythm.
Vishal has had the privilege of performing with many renowned artists: Ustad Shujaat Khan, Guru Urmila Nagar, Vidhwan Trichur Ramachandran, Pandit Ramesh Misra and Miss. Kala Ramnath, to name a few. Vishal has also had the honor of sharing the stage with some great world music masters such as African drum legend Babatunde Olatunji, Michel Shrieve, Evyind Kang, Carmona Flamenco, and Michael Wimberley, to name few. Vishal has also expanded his cultural boundaries and collaborated with musicians from around the world. Some of his memorable works have been with the Ghanaian Guitarist Koo Nimo with whom he also appeared in WOMAD USA (a leading world dance and music festival started by Peter Gabriel). Starting his performance career at the age of eight in Patna, Vishal has performed around the globe including performances in many cities in India, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Thailand and the United States. Vishal has also been awarded with the Ministry of Culture Scholarship from the Department of Culture.
In his journey as a musician, Vishal feels that music and art are truly an ocean of knowledge and an expression of feelings and emotions. He aspires to serve the Indian music and arts through his medium of expression, the language of tabla, and hopes that he will be able to give due respect, dedication, and devotion to this great art form of his country, India.
