Reputed violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan’s Yugma, is now live on YouTube and music platforms like Spotify. This original composition by Rajagopalan was recorded in July 2023, with maestro Christophe Chagnard conducting the Northwest Sinfonietta at the Lagerquist Concert Hall at Mary Baker Russell Music Center in Tacoma, Washington.
The piece is a reimagination of the raga Hamsadhwani, presented in a form called “ragapravaham” that Rajagopalan has pioneered.
The name Yugma is derived from Sanskrit, and represents the confluence between Rajagopalan’s Carnatic violin stylings and the Western Classical flavor brought in by Chagnard’s Northwest Sinfonietta, a 35-member chamber orchestra.
“As an artist, playing with a string orchestra has always been my dream,” said Rajagopalan. “Among my compositions, Hamsadwani Ragapravaham stood out as a piece that begged for such an arrangement. During the pandemic, I had an epiphany: ‘Why not record it with an orchestra?’ I shared this idea with Christophe [Chagnard], who embraced it wholeheartedly.”
Watch Yugma on Youtube or listen on Spotify.