Glassblowing, Indian music come to campus

RELEASED: March 8, 2007

DANVILLE, KY—A performance of Indian music and glassblowing demonstrations are coming to Centre's campus next week.

One-World Music Series Concert featuring Uday Bhawalkar and Manik Munde
The Centre College Music Program will host a free concert featuring the spellbinding Indian music tradition known as dhrupad on March 11 at 7:30 p.m. in Weisiger Theatre on campus. Noted Hindustani vocalist Uday Bhawalkar will give a performance accompanied by the fiery and intricate drum work of one of India's leading pakhavaj masters, Manik Munde.

"Not only does Uday rank among the most talented and highly acclaimed of all Indian druphad singers, but also his music reaches out to everyone, even those with no experience whatsoever in Indian music," says Nathan Link, assistant professor of music at Centre.

Dhrupad is the oldest surviving genre of classical singing in India. Its name, from dhruva-pada, simply means "refrain," and today it denotes both a form of poetry and a style of music in which the poetry is sung.

"One of the most amazing aspects of Uday's musicianship is how accessible his singing is to such a wide range of people. The warmth and artistry in his voice is immediately apparent to musicians and non-musicians alike," adds Link.

While studying Indian classical music as a boy in Ujjain, Bhawalkar longed to be a classical singer. His dream began to unfold when he was selected at 15 to study at the Dhrupad Kendra in Bhopal. By the age of 18, he had begun to realize the depths and potential of this style of music, and since that time he has devoted himself to the development of the Dhrupad style. It has become his career and life's purpose.

Bhawalkar lived and studied dhrupad for 12 years in the residences of his Gurus Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar and the Rudra-Veena Maestro Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar in Bhopal and Mumbai. His long training with his Gurus in the rigorous practice of dhrupad helped him to appreciate the subtle nuances and majesty of this music.

Bhawalkar has received numerous awards and honors, and he has performed at many prominent international music festivals. Several recordings of Bhawalkar's dhrupad performances are available on CD in India and around the world.

Manik Munde is one of India's foremost masters of the pakhawaj, the ancient Indian barrel-drum. Born in Maharashtra, he studied with Bhakta Ganesh Anna Chaudhari, Pandit Mahant Amarnath Mishra and Govind Deshmukh.

He first played in the United States with the late Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar and Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar in 1985 during the Festival of India and most recently performed in the United States with Shubha Sankaran in 2000.

Part of the Centre College One-World Music Series, information about this event can be obtained by contacting Nathan Link at nathan.link@centre.edu or (859) 238-5430.

Glass artist Marvin Lipofsky lecture and demonstration
Marvin Lipofsky, a pioneer and leader among American glass artists, will demonstrate his craft at Centre College. Lipofsky will give public demonstrations in the Hot Glass Studio in the College's Jones Visual Arts Center on March 12 (1-4 p.m.), March 13 (9-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.) and March 14 (9-noon).

Lipofsky will also give a brown bag lunch public lecture on March 13 at 11:30 a.m. in room 108 of the Jones Visual Arts Center.

"Lipofsky is one of the most important figures in the contemporary American glass movement," says Stephen Rolfe Powell, Stodghill Professor of Art at Centre. "His approach to glass epitomizes the American glass movement with his idea driven self-invented glass techniques."

On his last trip to Centre College in the spring of 2000, Lipofsky created the "Kentucky Series" which featured Stephen Powell's murrini (glass color discs).

Lipofsky and Powell's glass team made all of the pieces in the Centre Hot Glass Studio and shipped them back to Lipofsky in California where he spent hours and hours cutting and polishing the pieces to their final resolution.

"The 'Kentucky Series' proved to be one of Lipofsky's most popular series," remarks Powell.

Lipofsky founded the glass art programs at the University of California, Berkeley and the California College of Arts and Crafts. He was a founding member of the Glass Art Society and served as its president 1978-80.

Educated at the University of Illinois (bachelor of fine arts), Lipofsky completed a master's degree in sculpture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has lectured nationally and internationally at more than 300 workshops, conferences and universities. His honors have included two National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, the Living Treasures of California Award and honorary life membership in the Glass Art Society.

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