RAVI SHANKER FINAL TOUR TO INCLUDE PERFORMANCE AT THE SCHNITZ
WITH DAUGHTER ANOUSHKA SHANKAR
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Portland, Ore. … The legendary sitar virtuoso, composer, teacher and writer, Ravi Shankar, will perform in concert with his daughter, sitarist Anoushka Shankar, at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall Friday, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m. This non-orchestra presentation is part of Shankar's farewell tour. Media support is provided by KINKfm102.

Shankar, India's most recognized and esteemed musical ambassador, will announce the program from the stage. Renowned throughout the world for his pioneering work in bringing Indian music to the West, Shankar is, according to Billboard Magazine, "One of the most inspiring composer/performers of the 20th century."

Anoushka Shankar has been playing and studying with her father since she was 9, and according to Dubai's What's On magazine, "If Ravi Shankar is the guardian of Indian classical music, Anoushka is certainly the successor to his throne, by virtue of ability alone."

The Shankers' performance is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in the Portland Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets range from $25 to $87.50 and may be purchased at the Oregon Symphony Ticket Office (923 S.W. Washington), Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to
5 p.m. or charged by phone at 503-228-1353 or (800) 228-7343. Tickets also may be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets (790-ARTS) or through Ticketmaster Online, via the Symphony's Web site at www.orsymphony.org. Service fees may apply.

Ravi Shankar

The youngest son of a Bengali family, Ravi Shankar was born in 1920 in Varansi (Benares), the holiest of Indian cities. At the age of 10 he accompanied his elder brother, Uday Shankar, with his company of dancers and musicians to Paris where he attended school. He spent several years in the West absorbing different kinds of music but returned to India in 1938 where he began his career in his native India. He combined his concert performances with his work for All India Radio (1949-56) where he established the National Chamber Orchestra. As word of his virtuosity spread throughout India, then Europe, Asia and the United States, Shankar embarked on one of the most extraordinary careers in the history of contemporary music.

Ravi Shankar is a prolific composer and in addition to his numerous ragas and talas, he has written for musicians from the East and West including Yehudi Menuhin, Jean-Pierre Rampal and Japanese artists. Among his works are two Concertos for Sitar and Orchestra, the first commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra and premiered under André Previn. In 1980 he was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic, under the direction of Zubin Mehta, to compose "Raga-Mala" (A garland of Ragas), which was his second Sitar Concerto. Ravi Shankar also wrote, composed and choreographed the ballet "Ghanashyam," a work which made history on the British and Indian cultural scenes.

He has composed extensively for ballets and films including Satyajit Ray's "Apu" trilogy, which raised film music to a new standard of excellence, and "Gandhi," the Academy Award winning classic by Sir Richard Attenborough which won him nominations for both an Oscar and a Grammy Award.

Ravi Shankar is the recipient of many awards and honors including the Presidential Padma Vibhushan Award (1980) and the Award of Deshikottam, given by Vishawa Bharati and presented in December 1982 by the then Prime Minister, the late Mrs. Indira Gandhi. He is an honorary member of the American Academy of the Arts and Letters and recipient of twelve doctorates. In 1986 he became a member of the Rajya Sabha, India's Upper House of Parliament. He is a Fellow of the Sangeet Natak Academy and Founder President of The Research Institute for Music and the Performing Arts. In 1999 the government of India honored Ravi Shankar by awarding him its highest civilian award, the "Bharat Ratna" or Jewel of India. In 2000, Mr. Shankar received France's highest civilian award, the "Commandeur de la Légion d'Honneur." In March 2001, the British High Commissioner and Lady Young awarded Ravi Shankar the "Honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire".

Ravi Shankar's extensive discography of over 60 albums continues to grow, and in 1996 Angel records released In Celebration, a lavishly documented 4-CD retrospective of his greatest recordings, in honor of his 75th birthday. In 2001, Angel released Full Circle, Carnegie Hall 2000, Mr. Shankar's first live concert recording in nearly two decades. Angel/EMI is also continuing to release many of Mr. Shankar's albums previously unavailable on CD. Called the "Godfather of World Music" by George Harrison, Ravi Shankar has also been given the title "Global Ambassador" by the World Economic Forum.

He continues to tour each season all over the world dividing his time between India and the USA with regular visits to Europe and the Far East. He is the author of three books - My Music, My Life (in English), Rag Anurag (in Bengali) and Raga Mala (English) - the latest of which is an autobiography that was released in Fall 1999.

Perhaps no other greater tribute can be paid to this remarkable musician than the words of his colleague, Yehudi Menuhin, "Ravi Shankar has brought me a precious gift and through him I have added a new dimension to my experience of music. To me, his genius and his humanity can only be compared to that of Mozart's."

Anoushka Shankar

At the young age of 20, Anoushka Shankar has shown herself to be a unique artist with tremendous talent and understanding of the great musical tradition of India. At age 13 she made her performing debut in New Delhi, India. That same year, Anoushka entered the recording studio for the first time to play on her father's recording, In Celebration. Two years later she helped as conductor with her father and George Harrison, Mr. Shankar's friend and frequent colleague, on the 1997 Angel release, Chants of India. Shortly thereafter she signed an exclusive contract with Angel/EMI Classics. In 1998 her first solo recording, Anoushka, was released to tremendous critical acclaim. Her second album, Anourag, was released in the Summer of 2000.

As her solo career continues to blossom, she is poised to carry forward her father's legacy as one of the most creative and influential figures in the music world. In recognition of her artistry and musicianship, on July 17, 1998 the British Parliament presented Anoushka with a House of Commons Shield. She is the youngest as well as the sole female recipient of this high honor.

In addition to her own concerts, Anoushka continues touring the world with her father's ensemble with performances in India, Europe, Asia and the United States. Anoushka is also championing her father's Concerto No. 1 for Sitar and Orchestra, which she first performed with Zubin Mehta conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra in March 1997. In July 1999 Anoushka premiered a new work for sitar and cello, written by her father, Ravi Shankar, with cellist Mstislav Rostropovich at the Evian Festival. Most recently, Anoushka became the first woman ever to perform at The Ramakrishna Centre in Calcutta in February 2000.

In addition to her regular performances with her father, Anoushka most recently toured the UK with her own ensemble performing, which included her solo London debut. In the 2001-2002 season, Anoushka continues to perform solo concerts with extensive tours in the United States, Japan, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

Born in London, Anoushka Shankar has grown up in California, where she graduated with honors from public school in Encinitas, and in India, where she spends part of every winter performing with her father and visiting her family. She is also a gifted classical pianist with a wide range of interests. But her devotion to the sitar and to her father's guidance is unmistakable, with a discipline that has led her into an already extraordinary performing career.