WikiDwarf: Adding short description: "Indian-born American musician"

2023-02-01T15:32:47Z

Adding short description: "Indian-born American musician"

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2021-05-01T16:46:08Z

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{{Orphan|date=March 2016}}

{{Infobox person
| name = Kanniks Kannikeswaran
| image =
| alt = 
| caption =
| birth_place = Chennai, Tamil Nadu
| nationality = American
| other_names = Kanniks
| occupation = Musician, Composer, Scholar
| notable_works = Shanti Oratario, Vismaya
}}

'''Dr. Kanniks Kannikeswaran''', popularly known as Kanniks, is an Indo-American musician, scholar, composer, writer and music educator based out of Cincinnati, OH...<ref>''[http://www.kanniks.com Kanniks' Personal Website]''</ref> Often described as ‘The Magic Musician From Madras’,<ref name="Mason Our Town">{{cite journal|last1=Richardson|first1=Rachel|title=The Magical Musician From Madras|journal=Mason Our Town|issue=October–November 2012|pages=12, 13, 14|url=http://issuu.com/cincinnati/docs/mason-our-town-oct-2012?e=1025128/2597974|accessdate=15 November 2014}}</ref><ref name="About Kanniks">{{cite web|last1=Kannikeswaran|first1=Kanniks|title=About Kanniks|url=http://www.kanniks.com/about-kanniks.htm}}</ref> Kanniks has numerous productions, choral performances, lectures, workshops and articles to his name. He has founded and led community choirs in 10 cities in North America including Cincinnati OH, Bethlehem PA, Houston TX, Tampa FL, Ft. Lauderdale FL, Minneapolis/St Paul MN, Toronto ON, Washington DC, Atlanta GA and Chicago IL.<ref name="Across America, Voices Rise">{{cite web|last1=Burnett|first1=John|title=Across America, Voices Rise To Reinvent India|url=https://www.npr.org/2013/11/07/243535684/across-america-voices-rise-to-reinvent-india|website=NPR}}</ref><ref name="UC Magazine Citation">{{cite journal|last1=Blum|first1=Barbara|title=UC Indian American choral composer in national spotlight|journal=UC Magazine|url=http://magazine.uc.edu/famousalumni/kanniks.html|accessdate=15 November 2014}}</ref> He has expanded his work to Europe (The Hague - Netherlands).<ref name="HagueNetherlands">{{cite web|last1=Srinivasan|first1=Priya|title=Ragas in Symphony|url=http://srutimag.blogspot.in/2015/01/ragas-in-symphony.html|website=Sruti Magazine|accessdate=9 March 2016|date=2015-01-13}}</ref><ref name=KorzoProductions>{{cite web|title=Kanniks Kannikeswaran Productions|url=http://www.korzo.nl/en/production-house/choreographers/kanniks-kannikeswaran|website=Korzo|accessdate=15 November 2014|date=2013-08-20}}</ref> He has done extensive research on the music and life of 19th century composer [[Muthuswami Dikshitar]].

==Career==
Kanniks has trained in the classical Carnatic and Hindustani music traditions of India. He founded the Greater Cincinnati Indian Community Choir in late 1993 and produced his first musical production "Basant - A Musical Celebration of Spring" in 1994.<ref name="Mason Our Town" /> His productions combine Indian voices, chants with Western choruses and orchestral arrangements.<ref name="Across America, Voices Rise"/> Kanniks has assembled and led Indian American choirs in 10 cities in the United States. His doctoral work is on the music and life of [[Muthuswami Dikshitar]] (1775-1835), one of India's foremost composers. He has regularly presented lecture demonstrations at the prestigious Music Academy in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on the music of Dikshithar.<ref name=LecDemsAcademy>{{cite web|title=Reports on Lec-Dems|url=http://www.kutcheribuzz.com/december-season-buzz-2013/general-buzz-2013/1539-reports-on-lec-dems|website=Kutcheri Buzz}}</ref><ref name=LecDemsAcademy2>{{cite web|title=The influence of the dhrupad on Muttuswami Dikshitar kritis|url=https://sriramv.wordpress.com/2010/12/16/the-influence-of-the-dhrupad-on-muttuswami-dikshitar-kritis/|website=Madras Heritage and Carnatic Music|accessdate=19 January 2015|date=2010-12-16}}</ref> His articles on music have appeared in online forums and he has contributed to music columns in newspapers.<ref name=HinduArticleDikshithar>{{cite news|last1=Kannikeswaran|first1=Kanniks|title=Legacy From Dikshitar|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/legacy-from-dikshitar/article4507995.ece|accessdate=19 January 2015|publisher=The Hindu|date=March 14, 2013}}</ref>

==Choral Music==
Kanniks has assembled and conducted Indian American choirs across North America. He founded the first Indian choir in the United States in Cincinnati in 1993. The Greater Cincinnati Indian Community Choir, directed by Kanniks Kannikeswaran, won two silver medals in the prestigious Champions Category in the World Choir Games 2012, held in Cincinnati Ohio.<ref name=IndianExpressRagaChoral>{{cite news|last1=Pundir|first1=Pallavi|title=Raga Choral|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/raga-choral/990374/|accessdate=15 November 2014|publisher=The Indian Express|date=August 19, 2012}}</ref> Shanti, his flagship production is an oratorio for large mixed choruses, orchestra, dance, narration and multimedia. It has been performed many times in Cincinnati, Houston, Atlanta and other cities in the United States.<ref name=shantichoir>{{cite web|title=Shanti Choir|url=http://www.shantichoir.org/|website=Shanti A Journey Of Peace}}</ref><ref name=ShantiMorningCallArt>{{cite web|last1=Morse|first1=Diana|title=In 'Shanti,' East meets West - and the result is harmony|url=http://articles.mcall.com/2006-05-14/entertainment/3669921_1_shanti-western-music-indian-culture|website=The Morning Call|accessdate=22 January 2015}}</ref> Recently, he produced "Sangam to Silicon Era", a choral presentation of the work of various Tamil poets through various ages, in Chicago at the 40th annual convention of the Tamil Nadu Foundation <ref name=TNFUSA>{{cite web|title=The 40th Annual TNF Convention|url=http://tnfusa.org/40th-annual-tnf-convention/|website=tnfusa.org/|accessdate=19 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150120200524/http://tnfusa.org/40th-annual-tnf-convention/|archive-date=20 January 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=SangamToSiliconEraNews>{{cite news|last1=Viswanath|first1=Narayana|title=The Cincinnati En-choir-er|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/The-Cincinnati-En-choir-er/2014/06/16/article2282221.ece|accessdate=19 January 2015|publisher=The New Indian Express|date=Jun 16, 2014}}</ref>

==Significant Creations==
Shanti – A Journey of Peace is an oratorio for large mixed choruses, western and Indian instrumental ensembles, dancers, narration and multimedia. Shanti has recorded the participation of Indian community choirs, the Martin Luther King Chorale and the United Nations Association International Choir. Shanti has been performed by over a 1000 people in Cincinnati OH, Bethlehem PA, Houston TX and Atlanta GA.<ref name="ShantiAtlanta">{{cite web|last1=Indurti|first1=Madhavi|title=Shanti- A Journey of Peace Enraptures Atlanta|url=http://www.nripulse.com/shanti-a-journey-of-peace-enraptures-atlanta/|website=NRI Pulse|accessdate=9 March 2016|date=2014-11-12}}</ref><ref name="ShantiKanniksInterview">{{cite web|last1=Hegde|first1=Jyothsna|title=Shanti explores the idea of peace and interconnectedness in a very powerful way: Kanniks Kannikeswaran|url=http://www.nripulse.com/shanti-kanniks-interview/|website=NRI Pulse|accessdate=9 March 2016|date=2014-10-28}}</ref> Shanti premiered in 2004 and recently celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Vishwanathan|first1=Ajay|title=Shanti – let the sensations wash over you|url=http://www.khabar.com/magazine/around-town/shanti-let-the-sensations-wash-over-you|website=Khabar Magazine|accessdate=9 March 2016}}</ref>

Chitram - A Portrait of India – tells the story of the diversity in Indian culture through Indian choral music, dance and multimedia. Chitram premiered in Dayton OH in 2005 and has been performed in Dearborn MI, Cincinnati OH, Wilmington OH, Tampa FL, Fort Lauderdale FL, Minneapolis/St Paul MN, Toronto, and HoustonTX.<ref name="Chitram">{{cite news|last1=Guglani|first1=Suveena|title=Chitram: A Portrait of India|url=http://www.indoamerican-news.com/?p=25074|accessdate=9 March 2016|publisher=Indo American News|date=May 1, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Rele|first1=Nitish S.|title=Chitram Rocks Tampa Bay|url=http://www.khaasbaat.com/nov2007/news.htm|website=Khaasbaat|accessdate=9 March 2016}}</ref>

Ragas in Symphony portrays the intimate relationship between ragas and the seasons of the year. Written for mixed choruses, chamber orchestra and dances, this work was presented by the [[:nl:Korzo|Korzo]] Dance Theater in the Netherlands in October 2015.<ref name="HagueNetherlands" /> It featured the Surinamese Indian choir (Sharad choir), the [http://www.theaterkoordariofo.nl/ Dario Fo choir] and the [http://www.residentieorkest.nl/ Residentie Orkest] of the Anton Philipszaal in The Hague.

Sharad – A Celebration of Autumn for Indian choir, western orchestra, performed in the Netherlands (2013) and in Tampa (2014).
Colonial Interlude – Featuring the life and music of Indian composer Muthuswami Dikshitar, performed by the National University of Singapore Indian Instrumental Ensemble (March 2010)

The Silk Road – performed by the National University of Singapore Indian Instrumental Ensemble (March 2011)

The Indus Spirit – performed at the TiE Silicon Valley Convention (TiECon 2015) at the Santa Clara Convention Center (May 2014).

===Other Significant Compositions===

Kanniks composed the invocation that was performed by his daughter Vidita Kanniks at the reception held in honour of India’s Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] at the [[Madison Square Gardens]], New York on Sep 28, 2014.<ref name="AnthenForIndianDiaspora">{{cite web|last1=Blum|first1=Barbara|title=UC's ties to India prime minister's Madison Square Garden event|url=http://magazine.uc.edu/editors_picks/recent_features/vidita.html|website=UC Magazine|publisher=University of Cincinnati|accessdate=9 March 2016}}</ref>

'[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7c0cFld24M 'Sul taal'' dhrupad in Raga Jog] in honor of the Sai Temple in Mason OH – performed by the Gundecha brothers.

==Collaborations==
Kanniks has collaborated with musicians from around the world including [[John Morris Russell]], [[Mrinalini Sarabhai]], [[Mallika Sarabhai]] and others. His collaboration with the [[Gundecha Brothers]] resulted in ‘Guruguha Dhruvapada’ - a dhrupad concert featuring kritis of Dikshitar rendered in the classical dhrupad style.<ref name=Khabar /> He has worked with conductor Catherine Roma who has conducted several of his productions including Shanti. He has also worked with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and the Cincinnati symphony orchestra . He recently collaborated with the Korzo theater <ref name=KorzoSharad>{{cite web|title=Sharad, Celebrating Autumn|url=http://www.topictimes.com/videos/entertainment/sharad,-celebrating-autumn-by-kanniks-kannikeswaran-at-korzo---india-dance-festival-full-Ijs5G7pFkjk.html|website=Topic Times|accessdate=22 January 2015}}</ref> in the Netherlands, the United Nations Association International Choir in Houston and with the National University of Singapore Indian Instrumental Ensemble, the NUS Symphony orchestra, the Dario Fo choir and the Residentie Orkest in The Hague, Netherlands.

==Teaching==
Kanniks is an adjunct faculty member of Musicology at the College Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, since 1994.<ref>{{cite web|title=Faculty of College Conservatory of Music|url=http://ccm.uc.edu/|website=CCM Faculty Biographies}}</ref> Kanniks also conducts classes outside the University in Indian classical music for children and adults of all age groups. He is the founder of the American School of Indian Art (ASIA).<ref name=ASIA>{{cite web|title=American School of Indian Art|url=http://www.kanniks.com/about-asia.htm|website=kanniks.com|accessdate=19 January 2015}}</ref> He was a visiting artist at the University of South Florida.

==Awards and recognition==
* Lifetime achievement award from the SRGMPDN forum in Washington DC (Sep 2014)
* Lifetime achievement award from the Geeva Foundation, Louisville KY (May 2014)
* Ohio Heritage Fellowship - Ohio Arts Council - 2011<ref name=HeritageFellowshipRecipientAward>{{cite web|title=2011 Ohio Heritage Fellowship Recipients|url=http://www.oac.state.oh.us/grantsprogs/heritagefellowships2011.asp|website=Ohio Arts Council}}</ref>
* McKnight Visiting Composer Residencies - American Composers Forum - 2011<ref name=McKnightVisitingComposerResidency>{{cite web|title=McKnight Visiting Composer Residencies|url=http://composersforum.org/program/mcknight-visiting-composer-residencies|website=American Composers Forum|accessdate=19 January 2015}}</ref>
* Inaugural Award for the Advancement of Dharmic Arts and Humanities - Hindu American Foundation - 2013<ref>{{cite web|title=DC Days Awards: Hall of Fame|url=http://www.hafsite.org/media/pr/dcdaysawards|accessdate=19 January 2015}}</ref>
* Best Lecture Demonstration/Paper at 81st Annual Conference of the Music Academy - Madras - 2007.
* Individual Artists Fellowship from the Ohio Arts Council (2003)

==Research==
'''The Indo Colonial Music of Dikshitar:'''
Kannikeswaran has done extensive research on the Indo Colonial Music of Dikshitar and the nottusvara sahityas.<ref name=HinduArticleDikshithar /> Kanniks presented a lecture
demonstration on this topic at the Music Academy - Madras in 2007 and in 2008, released the first ever recording of the [[Nottusvara| Nottusvara Sahityas]] in the voice of his daughter Vidita Kanniks with western (largely Celtic) orchestration. This recording ‘Vismaya - An Indo Celtic Musical Journey’ was released both in India and in the United
States.<ref>{{cite web|title=Vismaya|url=https://www.amazon.in/Vismaya-Indo-Celtic-Musical-Journey/dp/B0016IHB48|accessdate=19 January 2015}}</ref> He also presents his work at the Annual meetings of the Society for Ethnomusicology. He has presented thematic programs on this topic in the presence of India’s former president Dr. Abdul Kalam, India’s former ambassador to the US Meera Shankar
and at the Media Rise Festival in Washington DC. He has presented talks, lecture/demonstrations and articles on this topic in various places in North America (including venues such as Berklee College of Music, The University of Cincinnati, The University of Texas at A&M and more), Singapore (National University of Singapore), Trinidad and India (Bangalore International Center, IIT Madras and more)<ref name=EngagingSpeechIndianExp>{{cite news|last1=Vishwanath|first1=Narayana|title=Truly, an engaging speech|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/Truly-an-engaging-speech-by-Kaniks-Kannikeswaran/2014/08/04/article2363044.ece|accessdate=22 January 2015|publisher=New Indian Express|date=4 August 2014}}</ref>

'''Dikshitar and dhrupad:'''
Kannikeswaran has researched into the various aspects of Dikshitar’s music - particularly the similarity between Dikshitar’s compositions and Dhrupad . He collaborated with the Gundecha brothers to present "Meditative Moments: Guruguha-Dhruvapada", a unique concert that highlighted Dikshitar's compositions that have similarities with Dhrupad,
in Houston in 2012 and in Cincinnati in June 2014.<ref name=Khabar>{{cite journal|last1=Rao|first1=Shuchita|title=Music: Fusing Two Idioms|journal=Khabar|issue=July 2012}}</ref><ref name=DhrupadDikshitharIndiaPost>{{cite news|last1=Swamy|first1=Prakash|title=Exploring the Dhrupad-Dikshitar connection|url=http://www.indiapost.com/exploring-the-dhrupad-dikshitar-connection/|accessdate=19 January 2015|date=June 8, 2012}}</ref> He has numerous articles and lecture demonstrations to his name on this topic <ref name=EngagingSpeechIndianExp />

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.kanniks.com Kanniks' Personal Website]
* [http://www.templenet.com Templenet]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kannikeswaran, Kanniks}}

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Kanniks Kannikeswaran - Revision history

WikiDwarf: Adding short description: "Indian-born American musician"

>Kahtar: Repair CS1 error(s), replaced: |website=http:// → |website=