Lucy Forde, Creative Leader, Guildhall School of Music
As a creative leader she leads, presents and performs on education and community projects in a diverse range of contexts Orchestras, ensembles and arts organisations she has performed with or led projects for recently include The Philharmonia Orchestra, The London Philharmonic Orchestra, The Wigmore Hall, The West of England Philharmonic Orchestra, Sinfonia Viva, The Endellion Quartet, Norfolk and Norwich Festival, The New London Chamber Ensemble, Music in Prisons, Music In Hospitals and Create (Arts)
In addition to her freelance work, she tutors undergraduate and postgraduate students at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in creative music making in community and educational contexts She has also recently been awarded a Finzi Scholarship to undertake research into cross-cultural collaboration in education and community work in India. She is also Music Director of music and dance ensemble Aranea integrating live music and dance with electronics and currently leading the Different Strokes project with Michael Goodey.
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Michael Goodey, Creative Leader, Guildhall School of Music
Michael is a composer, pianist, sitar player & workshop leader. He has been leading, presenting and performing on a wide range of educational projects related to music. As a Project Leader, he ran a creative music ensemble with year 10 and 11 students at Little Ilford School, Newham with a performance at the Royal Festival Hall.
From April 2007 he has been a Workshop Leader running music workshops for inclusive groups of young people at events centred on the discussion of issues around equality and rights. This has included work at the Greater London Assembly. Plans to go to similar projects to in East Africa, India and South America to share skills and make links.
For almost a year, he was co-leading a creative ensemble at Barking and Dagenham Music service, under Guildhall’s Connect programme, including many performances locally and at the Barbican and City of London Festival.
He is currently leading the Different Strokes project with Lucy Forde
Olivia Bradbury from the Guildhall School of Music is a Jazz vocalist
Core Group
Chirag Katti
Chirag Katti, fondly called as ‘Sitar Vaadan ka Naya Chirag’ is one of the most gifted and talented musicians whose youthful exuberance and persona is well expressed through his music
Chirag, born in a family of musicians, has been learning sitar from his father Pt.Shashank Katti (a national A Grade artist) for last 15 years. Pt. Shashank Katti, being the senior most disciple of Late Pt.K.T Bhatavdekar (one of the senior disciples of U. Vilayat Khan), has played a major role in moulding young Chirag.
At the young age of 22, Chirag has not only won many prizes but has also performed on many television channels, radio and concerts in India and abroad. Chirag is one of the youngest musicians recorded by Saregama H.M.V, and has been billed as the youngest sitar maestro of India by Saregama H.M.V
At this young age Chirag already has two albums to his credit: Silver Lining & Strings Magic.
Nikhil D’Souza
He is a 27 year old singer songwriter from the suburbs of Mumbai. Life was academics and work focused until a year ago, when he decided to find his way back into the music scene. He has played at the Prithvi theatre during the Thespo festival in November 2007, with different bands at Olive and Hard Rock Cafe, and at present is actively performing with two bands: Nik Frey (played at Zenzi in July and at Kaleidoscope in September) and K*N*A*P (played at Blue Frog in early November). Original music is, of course his main focus.
Shirish Malhotra
He has been an orchestral player (mostly a first violinist) for 8 years, with Bombay Chamber Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra of India as well as Sangat Festival Strings. He teaches & plays chamber music in his spare time. He is equally at home on both the flute and the violin. He has a fascination for all kinds of woodwind instruments and tries and learns to play whatever he can get his hands on!
Prafulla Athalye
Prafulla is a talented tabla player who started his initial tabla education at a very early age of 7 from Pt. Vasant Vishnupurikar. Later he became a Gandabandh disciple of Padmashri Late Ustad Allarakha Khansaheb. He has also trained under Ustad Zakir Hussain. He has accompanied many maestros incl. Pt Ajay Pohankar, Pt Birju Maharaj amongst others.
Anuraag Dhoundeyal
A vocalist, who started singing before he even learnt to talk, Anuraag Dhoundeyal won his first national level competition at the age of 6, and started learning Hindustani Classical Vocals at the tender age of 11.
Hailing from a musical family of professors, he was fortunate to have been exposed to a wide range of genres, which today stands as his USP. A strong base of Indian Classical Music, a keen ear for Western Music, a deep understanding of rhythmic patterns and a highly spiritual bent, makes Anuraag a proficient meeting point for the confluence of the East and the West.
With numerous gold medals, and prestigious performances to his credit, Anuraag, with his vibrant tranquillity, spreads the message of peace and spirituality with his Peace Concerts, across the country.
Harsh Dixit
Harshwardhan’s music captures the different nuances of life. Capturing an instrument’s expression along with its dynamicity has been one of his prominent approaches towards composing a piece of work, like for instance, capturing the sweetness of a Violin and the depth of a Sarangi in a single composition, as if they were talking to each other.
Primarily a Pianist, Harshwardhan always believed in experimenting with sounds to the fullest. Being a Pianist, he had an advantage to play around with sounds using synthesizers and hence the journey with sound experimentation began. He has been lately performing as a Keyboardist/ Pianist with a Fusion band called ‘Conversation’.
Kiran Vinkar
He has been a student of Hariprasad Chaurasia’s Gurukul. Performed with famous singers like Shreya Ghoshal, Abhijeet, Usha Uthup, Kailash Kher & many more. Also performed in many Indian light music & Western instrumental shows. Played in films like Krazzy 4, Sarkar Raj & many upcoming projects.
Arun Solanki is a student of Taufiq Qureshi
Larger Ensemble
Adil Kurwa
Adil picked up his first guitar as a pure act of curiosity. It didn’t take long for him to come to terms with music being a passion, and he decided to kick start his musical career as a bassist, a decision he has never regretted since.
Starting, off with the casual “jamming with friends” set up he soon got like minds under one roof to form his first band Social Suicide. After a decent amount of gigging his band managed to score its first show at Hard Rock, Mumbai in 2007 and that just opened a whole new chapter for them.
Curiosity would soon strike again, only this time it was with genres and the establishment of another band called Descarta. Gaining enough recognition he even managed to get involved in other projects on a sessions basis. Presently, he plays for both bands and keeps his head as open as he can to whatever improves his bass skills and carves him into a well rounded musician as a whole.
Aditya Ashok
Aditya is 19 years old and has been playing the drums for the past 2 and half years. He is a self taught drummer, but has trained under Gino Banks for a couple of months in the middle. In these 2 and a half years, he has played several shows with various musicians at venues such as Hard Rock Cafe, Blue Frog as well as Inter College and National Level competitions, playing styles such as Alternative Rock, Jazz Rock, Progressive Rock as well as Grunge, and more darker, heavier genres of music.
Ambresh Shroff
Was taken up as a disciple of well known music composer Kalyanji at the young age of seven. Has sung several jingles for various ads, documentaries and short films. Recently sung, composed, arranged and programmed a album released by Aamir Khan. Currently learning staff notations from the Theme Music Institute, Juhu.
Ayan De
Ayan started playing music at the age of 15. He played classical piano for 2 years and then switched to guitars. Since mid 2008 Ayan got back to playing keyboards and experimenting with Midi and started playing for a local Mumbai band called “Descarta”.
Ayan is primarily an audio engineer and takes his influences from Jordan Rudess of Dream Theatre and Yanni. Ayan has recently started experimenting with the use of guitars as an effect unit for the last two months.
Bianca Mendonca
Bianca Mendonca is 18 years old & is studying in her FYBCom at HR College. She has been playing the cello for around 10 yrs. Has completed her Performers Certificate Examination from the Trinity College London with a distinction in 2006. Has been playing with the Bombay Chamber Orchestra from the age of 12.
Has played for inter college festivals like Malhar etc. and participated in events like fusion, band and group singing. Has played for various quartet groups, operas and have worked with numerous foreign artists.
Dhanya Pilo
Dhanya alias Decoy is a visual jockey who uses her film making and photographic skills to create images of India that are evocative, personal and compelling. She is happiest while creating visual sequences spontaneously, while seeking a connection with the music and DJ. Dark, happy and calm, Decoy works as a film maker, designer and a visual artist from her studio in Bombay, the teeming hub of India’s artistic and film community.
Rhys D’Souza
Known as India’s teen-sensation and whiz-kid on the Saxophone. His debut performance was at the tender age of 3! Winning competitions on stage from school to college in vocals, piano, clarinet and saxophone. He has performed for a wide range of corporates and product launches all over the country. Has the distinction of being the one of the youngest composers for the new TATA-AIG jingle on air now.
Currently starring in the hit musical, ‘Jazz’ as an actor and musician. His passion for music continues as he now also plays the Bass guitar and Harmonica, composing and performing on stage and in the studios.
Unmisha Athavale
A 17 year old prodigy, she has given 5 tabla exams and passed with a 1st class. She has played along with a group of tabla students for a concert by A.R. Rehman. She has also done recordings for her class.
Chetan Mehta on the saxophone
