Priti Paintal
Encyclopedia
Priti Paintal is an East Indian
composer, performer, music producer and promoter who lives and works in England
.
, India
, and is the daughter of the distinguished Indian scientist Prof Autar Singh Paintal. She trained in both Indian and Western music. She studied sitar
and tabla
as a child and piano and composition in India, receiving a master's degree in ethnomusicology before moving to England to study composition at the York University and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester
with Anthony Gilbert
.
Priti founded the ensemble ShivaNova in 1988 to unite diverse musical traditions into a global sound. The ensemble collaborates with artists including storytellers, jugglers, dancers and orchestras, and provides workshops in schools and communities. A mainstream dance music spin-off of the group, SugarNova, had its debut single "Over and Over" reach the top 20 of the Music Week Club Charts.
Her music brings together traditional,classical and jazz performers in a unique mix of Indian roots and contemporary flair. In addition to her group pieces she wrote the mini-opera "Survival Song" for the Royal Opera House Garden Venture contemporary opera programme, which was shortlisted for the Olivier Awards. It led to the full-length opera "Biko", the Royal Opera House's first commission from an Asian and a woman composer, staged in London and Birmingham.
Other performers have included the Philharmonia Orchestra in the premiere of "Secret Chants",the title track of ShivaNova’s latest CD, and she has written works for the City of London Sinfonia, Bournemouth Sinfonietta, East of England Orchestra, the Balanescu and Bingham string quartets, the Park Lane Sextet, and numerous singers and instrumentalists.
Priti has written for The Guardian newspaper, and been featured in The Independent and The Daily Telegraph. She has appeared on Songlines, BBC 3 and Womans' Hour. She has served on the Arts Council Music panel, the board of South-East Arts, the board of Kent Music.
Polygamy (Cd), Urban Mantras(Cd), Flying to the Sun (Cd), Moonlighting (Cd), Seventh Heaven (Cd,
Biko (full-length opera based on the life of Apartheid leader Stephen Biko)
Indian people
Indian people or Indisians constitute the Asian nation and pan-ethnic group native to India, which forms the south of Asia, containing 17.31% of the world's population. The Indian nationality is in essence made up of regional nationalities, reflecting the rich and complex history of India...
composer, performer, music producer and promoter who lives and works in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Life
Priti Paintal was born in New DelhiNew Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and is the daughter of the distinguished Indian scientist Prof Autar Singh Paintal. She trained in both Indian and Western music. She studied sitar
Sitar
The 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
and tabla
Tabla
The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
as a child and piano and composition in India, receiving a master's degree in ethnomusicology before moving to England to study composition at the York University and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
with Anthony Gilbert
Anthony Gilbert
Anthony Gilbert may refer to:*Anthony Gilbert *Anthony Gilbert *Anthony Gilbert -See also:*Tony Gilbert, Antonio Gilbert, American football player...
.
Priti founded the ensemble ShivaNova in 1988 to unite diverse musical traditions into a global sound. The ensemble collaborates with artists including storytellers, jugglers, dancers and orchestras, and provides workshops in schools and communities. A mainstream dance music spin-off of the group, SugarNova, had its debut single "Over and Over" reach the top 20 of the Music Week Club Charts.
Her music brings together traditional,classical and jazz performers in a unique mix of Indian roots and contemporary flair. In addition to her group pieces she wrote the mini-opera "Survival Song" for the Royal Opera House Garden Venture contemporary opera programme, which was shortlisted for the Olivier Awards. It led to the full-length opera "Biko", the Royal Opera House's first commission from an Asian and a woman composer, staged in London and Birmingham.
Other performers have included the Philharmonia Orchestra in the premiere of "Secret Chants",the title track of ShivaNova’s latest CD, and she has written works for the City of London Sinfonia, Bournemouth Sinfonietta, East of England Orchestra, the Balanescu and Bingham string quartets, the Park Lane Sextet, and numerous singers and instrumentalists.
Priti has written for The Guardian newspaper, and been featured in The Independent and The Daily Telegraph. She has appeared on Songlines, BBC 3 and Womans' Hour. She has served on the Arts Council Music panel, the board of South-East Arts, the board of Kent Music.
Works
Selected works include:- Grandharva Music I
Polygamy (Cd), Urban Mantras(Cd), Flying to the Sun (Cd), Moonlighting (Cd), Seventh Heaven (Cd,
- Secret Chants(orchestral work and Cd)
- Survival Song, chamber opera
Biko (full-length opera based on the life of Apartheid leader Stephen Biko)
- Gulliver in Lilliput, children's opera
- Bananas, multi-media show
- Global Feast, multi-artform