FourOneOne

Dhrupad, the oldest living form of Indian classical music, has been practiced for at least twenty generations in the Dagar tradition (Dagar vani) by members of the Dagar family. In the twentieth century, Zia Mohiuddin Dagar revolutionized dhrupad by introducing its central instrument, the rudra veena—used for most of its history for accompaniment and private study—as a solo instrument for public listening. Zia Mohiuddin modified and redesigned the veena to produce a deep, soft sound created by finger plucking. His son, Ustad Mohi Bahauddin Dagar, is the world's leading performer of the rudra veena today. Born in Mumbai in 1970, he began studying sitar at age seven with his mother, Smt. Pramila Dagar, and later became a student of his father and his father’s brother, Zia Faridudin Dagar. Bahauddin has become acclaimed for his highly responsive playing style; expansive, prayerful sound; and commitment to dhrupad’s evolution and to Dagarvani’s engagement with European and American audiences, musicians and composers.

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This performance is part of Bahauddin’s multi-year collaboration with FourOneOne, spanning rehearsals, master classes, publications, live performances, and cross-stylistic encounters with New York’s many audiences and creative communities.