When ragas meet Bach on stage

Musicians Lakshay and Ayush Mohan first met cello maestro Barry Phillips during their training with Pandit Ravi Shankar. "My initial connection with him was when he hired me as a celloist in 1996. I went on to become his transcriber," shares Phillips. "He invited Aayush, Lakshay and me to perform at The Grammy Museum in LA where we did a piece together. Our current collaboration has many more tracks. Lakshya and Aayush have blended Indian Classical ragas with Western Classical music that is inspired by the compositions of Bach," he adds. The musicians are the only Indian duo to have been invited to perform at the prestigious Grammy museum.

Barry Phillips

"As composers, it is important for us to experiment. When we perform Indian Classical compositions, we do it in the traditional manner. Indian and Western Classical styles have a lot in common. Our training and sensibilities help us blend the two seamlessly, which may not have been the case had we been working with completely contrasting genres like Rock, for instance," says Lakshya Mohan. Phillips echoes his sentiment.

Lakshay Mohan

The give and take
"The two traditions have so much in common, which I find difficult to describe in words. So, I do it with music. It's best to approach Fusion with care and respect to avoid the two traditions stepping on each other's toes. In this case, the two composers have managed to do that brilliantly. I can only show you how, if I play the piece for you," he maintains, adding that the current show will offer the audience comparisons and similarities between both styles, with multiple textures.

Aayush Mohan

"The give and take makes this a collaboration in its true meaning. In the traditional Indian Classical style, we practice the oral tradition and improvise on the spot. This time, however, keeping the Western Classical system in mind, we have written down all the music, including the cello pieces," Mohan sums up.