“Music is a spiritual expression of the infinite. Indian classical music, in its essence, is a journey to the divine.” – Ustaad Ravi Shankar
On 7 January 2025, Delhi Public School R.K. Puram, had the privilege of hosting an Indian Classical Concert featuring the legendary musician Chitravina N. Ravikiran. He is a global icon of Indian classical music, who stunned the world as a prodigy at the age of two. Renowned for his groundbreaking contributions, he has composed over 1,150 musical works, including operas like Ramayana and Mahabharata, and introduced Indian ragas to western orchestras. As the inventor of Melharmony, he has bridged melody and harmony, collaborating with leading artists worldwide and mentoring future performers. He was accompanied by the renowned violin maestro Shri. Delhi Sridhar and the exceptionally talented young percussionist Akshanan on the mridangam.
The event was graced by the Chief Guest Shri V.K. Shunglu, Chairman of the Managing Committee of Delhi Public School R.K. Puram. The Guests of Honour for the event were: Smt. Madhu Shunglu, Prof. Ganpati Ramanath; Prof. John Tod Horton, Professor of Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA and Visiting Guest Professor at Linkoping University, Sweden and Ms Dolly Chanana, Joint Secretary, Delhi Public Society. The concert was attended by passionate music enthusiasts, including Principals, Vice Principals, teachers, and students from various DPS branches across Delhi-NCR.
The evening commenced with a soulful invocation of Lord Shiva through a beautiful song from Uttarakhand, performed by the students of DPS R.K. Puram. This was followed by the main event, the concert. Shri Ravikiran, Shri Delhi Sridhar, and Master Akshanan delivered spellbinding renditions of two of the most sought-after ragas in the Carnatic music tradition. These included Hamsadhvani, a raga founded by the renowned Ramaswamy Dixitar and popularized by his son Muthuswami Dixitar, and Pantu adi, created by the eminent Tyagaraja. Their performance was a seamless blend of tradition and innovation, leaving the audience inspired and deeply impressed.
The floor was then opened for questions from the audience. During this interactive session, Shri. Ravikiran showcased immense wisdom and spoke about everything from his personal journey to his advice for budding musicians. He introduced a new dynamic to the interaction by combining the worlds of Mathematics and Music. Shri Ravikiran also shed light on the concept of Melharmony, which he has pioneered. It is a captivating fusion of melody and harmony. He explained how this technique addresses inequalities faced by musicians by connecting two distinct musical approaches: the melody-centric style prevalent in India and the harmony-focused tradition popular in the West. This fusion has paved the way for numerous groundbreaking collaborative compositions.
The vote of thanks was delivered by the Headmistress, Ms. Rashmi Malhotra. She extended her heartfelt gratitude to the chief guest and the Guests of honour for their support and motivation. She congratulated Shri Ravikiran, Shri Delhi Sridhar, and Akshanan on their exceptional performance. She also thanked the Principal, Mr. Anil Kumar for his unstinted support and guidance. She thanked the Vice Principals Mr Naresh Miglani ,Mr Anil Kathuria and Mr Mukesh Kumar for being the unwavering driving force behind events of such magnitude and excellence. Lastly, she expressed appreciation for the teachers, students, support staff, and the activity in-charges for their valuable contributions towards making the event a grand success.
The evening concluded on a patriotic note with the singing of the National Anthem.
