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Sathvi Ramseshan: Stringing East and West with grace and virtuosity
Her performance kept the audience spell-bound, celebrating the depth of Indian tradition and the rigour of Western classical training.
-
Staff Reporter
- Sat, 10, May 2025
- 01:44 EDT
- 56
Sathvi Ramseshan. / Ram Seshan
The graduation recital of Indian-American violinist Sathvi Ramaseshan, a graduating senior from The New School in New York, at Mannes School of Music on May 4 left the audience awed and inspired.
Perhaps for the first time, the audience experienced the nuances of “alaap”
--the slow, introspective introduction of an Indian classical raga. Ramaseshan, a San Diego, CA native, opened her recital with a composition by her friend, Arjan Singh, in Puriya Kalyan Raga, setting the tone for the evening.
Her virtuosity kept the audience spell-bound, celebrating the depth of Indian tradition and the rigour of Western classical training.
Then followed a performance of Gavotte en Rondeau from Partita No. 3 in E Major by J.C. Bach. Her interpretation was crisp, dance-like, and buoyant, with a Baroque elegance that showcased her stylistic versatility.
She followed this with Paul Wiancko’s X Suite for Solo Violin: Prelude, a
contemporary work that demands both virtuosity and emotional depth. Sathvi played it with a remarkable blend of clarity and imagination, giving each phrase a sense of architectural purpose while never losing its expressive core.
The first half of the recital closed with a commanding rendition of Pyotr Ilyich
Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35 (I. Allegro Moderato)—a formidable challenge for any violinist. Her handling of the cadenza was particularly riveting. Pianist Alex Glass provided superb accompaniment, complementing her every phrase with sensitivity and vigor.
The second half of the evening featured a chamber music highlight: Johannes Brahms’ Horn Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 40. Sathvi was joined by hornist Luis Montesdeoca and pianist Alex Glass for the first two movements—Andante and Scherzo (Allegro). Sathvi’s violin sang with warmth and clarity, while Montesdeoca’s horn added a noble richness, and Glass’s piano bound the textures with lyrical finesse.
Ramaseshan is a student of renowned violinist Austin Wulliman of the Grammy-nominated JACK Quartet. Her early musical upbringing exposed her to Western Classical and Indian Classical traditions. A dual influence that now defines her artistry.
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