Kanniks Kannikeswaran
Kanniks Kannikeswaran
Kanniks Kannikeswaran, popularly known as Kanniks, is an Indo-American musician, composer, writer and music educator based out of Cincinnati, OH[1]. His music is grounded in the Carnatic and Hindustani music traditions of India but also includes musical elements from cultures worldwide[CITE REF]. Often described as ‘The Magic Musician From Madras’, Kanniks has numerous productions, choral performances, lectures, workshops and articles to his name [2] . He is a pioneer of the Indian American choral movement[3] and has founded and directed community choirs in 8 cities in North America including Cincinnati OH, Bethlehem PA, Houston TX, Tampa FL, Ft. Lauderdale FL, Minneapolis/St Paul MN, Toronto ON, Washington DC. He is currently expanding his work to Europe (The Hague - Netherlands) [4] . He has won global acclaim for his research on Muthuswamy Dikshithar's music and compositions, especially around the Nottuswara Sahityas [5] [6] [7].[8]
Career
Kanniks has trained in the classical Carnatic and Hindustani music traditions of India. He is the pioneer of the Indian American choral movement and has established a new sound in choral music [9]. Kanniks has established a unique style for himself that mingles elements from the Hindustani and Carnatic streams of Indian music and also from musical traditions throughout the world [10][11]. Kanniks has founded and directed choirs in 8 cities in the United States and is expanding this work to Europe [4]. He has a number of productions, albums and recordings to his name [ CIT REF]. He has written numerous articles on music and given a number of lecture demonstrations in various forums in the United States, India and worldwide. [12].
Teaching
Kanniks has been teaching graduate students in his two quarter sequence of classes on Indian Classical Music - Graduate Course Sequence in Indian Music Theory and History - at the College Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, since 1994 [13] . Kanniks also conducts classes outside the University in Indian classical music for children and adults of all age groups.
Choral Music
Kanniks has experimented and innovated in the choral music genre through new choral arrangements featuring Indian voices in combination with western choruses and western orchestras [14] . He founded the first Indian choir in the United States in Cincinnati in 2004. The Greater Cincinnati Indian Community Choir, directed by Kanniks Kannikeswaran,won two silver medals in the prestigious Champions Category in the World Choir Games 2012, held in Cincinnati Ohio[15].[16] The Shanti oratorio, his signature Choral production, has been performed to great acclaim in Cincinnati, Houston and other cities in the United States [17] . Recently, he produced "Sangam to Silicon Era" in Chicago which was well received by audiences [18].
Collaborations
Kanniks has collaborated with leading artistes from around the world. His work "The Snake Concerto" was performed by the prestigious Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, conducted by John Morris Russell [19]. His score for Jeevan Taal based on several Indian folk music traditions was choreographed by Mrinalini Sarabhai, one of the foremost exponents of classical and modern Indian dance, and received wide acclaim from the Indian press.[20] Kanniks has worked with Lakshmi Shankar, one of the foremost classical musicians of India [21]. His collaboration with the Gundecha brothers resulted in a ‘Guruguha Dhruvapada’ - a dhrupad concert featuring kritis of Dikshitar rendered in the classical Hindustani style [22][23] . He has worked with celebrated conductor Catherine Roma who has directed several of his productions including Shanti. He has also worked with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and the Cincinnati symphony orchestra [24] [25] . He recently collaborated with the Korzo theater in the Netherlands [26] [27] , the United Nations Association International Choir in Houston and with the National University of Singapore Indian Instrumental Ensemble. Kanniks has been receiving support for his creative work in the form of grants from the City of Cincinnati, the Ohio Arts Council and the Fine Arts Fund since 1996.[28]
Awards and Recognition
The McKnight Fellowship - American Composer’s Forum - 2011 [29] Ohio Heritage Fellowship - Ohio Arts Council - 2011 [30] Inaugural Award for the Advancement of Dharmic Arts and Humanities - Hindu American Foundation - 2013 [31] Best Lecture Demonstration/Paper at 81st Annual Conference of the Music Academy - Madras - 2007.
Research
The Indo Colonial Music of Dikshitar: Kannikeswaran’s research on the Indo Colonial Music of Dikshitar has created a renaissance of the nottusvara sahityas[32] . Kanniks presented an award winning lecture demonstration on this topic at the Music Academy - Madras in 2007 [33] and in 2008 released the first ever recording of the entire genre of nottusvara sahityas in the voice of his daughter Vidita Kanniks with western (largely Celtic) orchestration. This recording ‘Vismaya - An Indo Celtic Musical Journey’ was released both in India and in the United States.[34] He has presented thematic programs on this topic in the presence of India’s former president Dr. Abdul Kalam, India’s former ambassador to the US Meera Shankar and more recently at the Media Rise Festival in Washington DC. He has presented talks, lecture/demonstrations on this topic in various places [35] in North America (including venues such as Berklee College of Music, The University of Cincinnati, The University of Texas at A&M and more), Singapore (National University of Singapore), Trinidad and India (Bangalore International Center, IIT Madras and more). Dikshitar and dhrupad: Kannikeswaran has also researched into the various aspects of Dikshitar’s music - particularly the similarity between Dikshitar’s compositions and Dhrupad . He collaborated with the Gundecha brothers to present "Meditative Moments: Guruguha-Dhruvapada", a unique concert that highlighted Dikshitar's compositions that resemble Dhrupad music, in Houston in 2012.[36] He has numerous articles and lecture demonstrations to his name on this topic.[37]