Albany Center Gallery will host two events this week, free and open to the public. Please join us! Click here for more information

Albany Center Gallery is pleased to announce that Veena Chandra & Devesha Chandra will be performing TONIGHT at 7 p.m. at the Closing Reception of the Mohawk Hudson Regional Invitational at the Gallery. I hope you will join us!

VEENA CHANDRA born in Dehra Doon, Valley of Himalaya Mountains, India was inspired to play music by her Father. He played Sitar every night and was completely immersed in the Music. To the point where he named her Veena, after the instrument which is the precursor of the sitar, in hopes that she would learn the music. Thus, he was her first Guru, teacher. He is 95 years old today and his hopes have validated themselves many times over as evident by the international acclaim & respect given to Veena Chandra.

Veena is an internationally renowned sitarist, composer, teacher and choreographer. She is the founder and director of the Dance and Music School of India in Latham, where she teaches Indian classical music on various instruments, as well as voice and dance. She has been a faculty member at Skidmore College since 1990, teaching sitar in the Music Department.

She inherited the love of music and learn sitar from her father and continued her studies with Shri. Satish Chandra, disciple of Ravi Shankar. She had attended very inspiring concerts by Pt Ravi Shankar in when he was performing extensively around the US. She earned master’s degrees in music (stood third all over India in MMUS.) and sociology and a bachelor’s degree in teaching. She has been in the international Who’s Who since 1997. Mrs. Chandra has taught at Agra, Dayalbagh universities and colleges in India teaching sitar and sociology. She has been performing and teaching sitar for the last 54 years, as she had continued her advance training under the late Ustad Vilayat Khan Saheb. Ustad Vilayat Khan Saheb very much enjoyed listening to her Sitar and grew very close to Veena and her son Devesh.

She is a recent recipient of a New York State Folk Art Grant 2003, and Artists Decentralization Grant and several SOS & Meet the Composer grants. Currently she does lecture-demonstrations and performances at numerous performance halls, music festivals, colleges, universities, schools, and community centers in the U.S. and India. She also received an artist award as a composer through the Albany League of Arts in 2002. She has received several years-2000, 2001, 2008, 2009, 2010 of Community Art Grants for Hindu Temple Society through The Arts Center, Troy and NYSCA. She has several CDs to her credit, including two very popular recording on which the renowned Bikram Ghosh accompanies her on tabla. Veena Chandra’s 2009-2010 India tour is being in part sponsored by NYSCA and The Arts Center of the Capital Region.

Veena Chandra has a rare ability to communicate the beauty and complexity of North Indian Classical music to the western listener. She is noted for her skill and sensitivity in the meend (bending of wire) and her ability to produce vocal sounds on the sitar. She characterizes the music of the sitar and tabla as relaxing and reflective of instincts and emotions. She explains that there is a triangular relationship between the artist, the art and the audience. She blends herself into the art and presents herself to the audience through the music. The power in her music is vitalizing and healing to the body, clarifying to the mind, and food for the soul. Listening to her magnificent, heavenly music on the sitar will not leave you untouched.

DEVESH CHANDRA born in Agra on March 31, 1984, UP, India has been learning the Tabla since the tender age of 3. He has learned Northern Indian Classical Music from his mother – Smt. Veena Chandra. Devesh is the youngest of six children, and like his older brothers and sisters he also grew up listening to and playing music. His first spoken words were the syllables of tabla -Dha Dha Tita. Devesh has accompanied his Veena Chandra throughout the United States and has played professionally since the age of 10. He has several received a Meet the Composer Grants. He has performed at the Asian Moon Festival in Madison, Wisconsin on numerous occasions in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001.

Devesh’s innovative and imaginative approach captivates and enthralls audiences. His sound is unique and his solos are breathtaking. He has been very fortunate to have close interactions with some iconic figures of Indian Music. The greatest influence of which was Ustad Vilayat Khan Saheb. Devesh accompanied his mother on her visits with the late Ustad Vilayat Khan Saheb. Ustad Vilayat Khan Saheb grew to be a grandfather to Devesh. Devesh was heavily affected and influenced by his close relationship with late Sitar Maestro Ustad Vilayat Khan Saheb. In addition, in 1995, he was fortunate to study briefly with the late Ustad Allah Rakha Khan Saheb, father of Ustad Zakir Hussain. Further, since the summer of 2002, Devesh has been fortunate to get the opportunity to study with Ustad Zakir Hussain.

World Music has much to look forward to from this budding artist. Veena & Devesh Chandra are the only Mother /son duo of this music in the world.

Check out the current write up by Tim Kane about the Mohawk Hudson Regional Invitational by clicking here.

Albany Center Gallery recently was able to contribute to the WAMC Roundtable. Special thanks the Ami Lahoff for her help with the collaboration between the Vanguard, a fundraising arm of The Albany Symphony Orchestra.

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David Brickman blogs about the current exhibit. Check it out here.

Albany Center Gallery is inviting emerging and established musicians to perform in the gallery’s intimate space during 1st Friday’s. Prince Fritz performed challenging compositions with ease last friday. Check out his website here. If you are interested in performing in our intimate space, please contact the gallery at (518) 462-4775.

Albany Center Gallery is working with the interior designer’s for the 30th Annual Vanguard Showhouse. The finest designers and decorative painters have created amazing homes through Vanguard, the major fundraiser for the Albany Symphony. Recognizing the economic challenges arts organizations are confronted with, collaboration makes perfect sense and benefits both organizations, artists and designers.

The opportunity to utilize some of the finest art of the capitol region had a very strong appeal to the Vanguard Showhouse Designers. When Sarah Martinez, Executive Director of the Albany Center Gallery, together with Holly Katz and Ami Lahoff hosted an evening on March 3, 2010 at the Gallery to introduce artists and designers, the Art for Arts match was made.

This year’s Vanguard Showhouse will reap the awards of this very special collaboration. The amazing rooms and design expertise will be graced with the works of the finest Capital Region Artists! You are invited to attend and enjoy the beauty created by the Art for Arts collaboration!

Vanguard Showhouse is located at 245 Menlo Park Road, Niskayuna, New York
Vanguard Showhouse Preview Party: April 25th, 2010
Showhouse General Public Opening: April 27th, 2010

Knock It Off!

Check it out here!