Samspill Klassisk – a concert series of boundary-crossing classical interplay! Through concerts at Gamle Aker Church and Holmlia Church in Oslo, Samspill challenges our conventional idea of what classical music is. Here you’ll encounter classical music traditions from beyond Europe’s borders and across the world.
South of ...
Carnatic music from South India
South of Mumbai lies another India, where languages and music have ancient roots reaching back to the subcontinent’s earliest civilizations. While North Indian music reflects a history shaped by strong Arab and Persian influences, the music of the south was preserved in its oldest and most original form — Carnatic music.
At South of …, a group of star performers will lead us into this deeply fascinating tradition, known for its luxuriant ornamentation and rhythmic complexity.
The beautiful acoustics of Gamle Aker Church and Holmlia Church provide the perfect setting for music filled with lightness and warmth, melancholy and virtuosity.
Performers:
Mira Thiruchelvam - flute
Sunthar Kanesan – mridangam
Athisaiyan Suresh - violin
Time and place:
23 November kl. 18:00 (doors 17:30) – Gamle Aker kirke
10 January kl. 18:00 (doors 17:30) – Holmlia kirke
About the musicians
Sunthar Kanesan
Born in 1972, Sunthar Kanesan is one of Norway’s foremost exponents of Carnatic music. He trained at Annaamalai Isai Tamil Academy in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, and at the Norwegian Academy of Music. With over 35 years’ experience as a performer and educator, he has collaborated with leading musicians from Norway, India, and Sri Lanka. For many years he toured for Rikskonsertene (Concerts Norway), bringing the Carnatic tradition to audiences across the country. As a teacher at the Oslo Municipal School of Music and Performing Arts (Oslo kulturskole) and founder of the Naadhaantham music school, he is a key force in strengthening and carrying forward the Tamil music tradition.
Mira Thiruchelvam
Born in 1990, Mira Thiruchelvam is a flutist, composer, and producer known for her bold, experimental expression in ethno-pop and jazz. A co-founder of the bands 9 Grader Nord and Gutu Abera, she remains firmly rooted in the classical Carnatic tradition even as she explores contemporary forms. Mira has received several prestigious awards, including AFRIMA and the EDVARD Prize, and her album Yalpanam won the 2023 Spellemann Award (Open Category). She has toured with KARPE, written music for the Western Norway Jazz Ensemble, and is a distinctive voice in Norwegian musical life.
Athisaiyan Suresh
Born in 1998, Athisaiyan Suresh is a violinist firmly grounded in South Indian classical music. He studied for many years with violinist T. V. Vinayakamoorth and later deepened his training under the world-renowned double-violinist Neyveli S. Radhakrishna. Despite his young age, Athisaiyan has already established himself internationally, performing regularly around the world with various artists, and has appeared with Ane Brun and Bjørn Eidsvåg. He represents a new generation that performs both classical and modern music.
Samspill Klassisk
– a concert series with limitless classical music
Through concerts in Gamle Aker Church and Holmlia Church in Oslo, Samspill challenges our conventional understanding of classical music. We present classical traditions from outside Europe and across the globe—musical lineages spanning millennia, with deep roots, complex systems, and rigorous training. These are traditions that have shaped societies, fostered artists of the highest caliber, and inspired Western classical composers.
A richness seldom heard on Norwegian concert stages—now experienced in some of Oslo’s finest church spaces. Be surprised, moved, and enriched by leading Norwegian-based performers in Carnatic music, Indian raga, Persian radif, and a range of other classical genres.
Harpeet Bansal er kurator og musikalsk leder for Samspill klassisk og konsertserien er støttet av Oslo kommune og Kulturrådet.
