Saskia Rao-de Haas

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Saskia Rao-de Haas (born 1971) is a virtuoso

sitarist Shubhendra Rao.[1]

Early life

Saskia was born in

Hari Prasad Chaurasia and Koustuv Ray.[2]

Musical career

She first came to India in 1994 where she studied Indian music under Dr. Sumati Mutatkar at the Delhi University. Subsequently, she has also been tutored by Pandit D.K. Datar, Pandit Deepak Chowdhury and Pandit Shubhendra Rao.[3]

Saskia Rao de Haas has performed at a number of traditional festivals, such as the

Kennedy Centre at Washington, D.C., and the Esplanande in Singapore.[4] More recently in 2013 she also performed at various universities of UK including Oxford through the UK chapter of SPICMACAY[permanent dead link]. They are also scheduled to play at the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow in 2014.[5]

As a Composer

Saskia is acclaimed for bridging the Western and

Western classical cellist, plays folk music from Eastern Europe
and has composed music for dance, film and theatre. Rao-de Haas composed music for the dance group Raga Mala and created an Indian string quartet in her piece 'Mukhani'. She developed, together with Shubhendra, a collection of pieces for sitar and cello with percussion under the collective name 'East marries West'.[6]

The Indian Cello

Saskia's contribution to

sympathetic strings. It is smaller in size than its western counterpart, thus enabling Saskia to sit on the floor while playing it. The addition of an extra playing string on a higher octave and the ten sympathetic strings further enriches the tonal quality of the Indian cello.[7]

Music education project

On August 13, 2014 the project Music: Every child's birthright was launched by the Shubhendra and Saskia Rao Foundation. The project includes a music education curriculum from nursery school up to high school level.[8]

Personal life

Saskia married sitarist Shubhendra Rao in 2001. They have a son, Ishaan and live in the C R Park locality of New Delhi.[7]

References

  1. Livemint
    . Retrieved 8 March 2010.
  2. ^ "Saskia Rao - My Mentors". Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  3. ^ "On a life-long exploration". The Hindu. September 5, 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  4. ^ "Pt. Jasraj award for Dutch cellist". The Hindu. February 24, 2011. Archived from the original on March 1, 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  5. ^ "When East marries West." Deccan Herald. 17 November 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  6. Livemint
    . Retrieved 8 March 2010.
  7. ^ a b "The calling of music". The Hindu. August 30, 2008. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  8. ^ The Hindu. Delhi-based musicians Shubhendra and Saskia Rao are all set to take music education to every child. August 7, 2014,

External links

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