MANDHIRA DE SARAM
Genres: Jazz Related Improv, Composition • Sri Lanka

With the violin as a starting point, Mandhira de Saram dived into a career of investigation. It started with classical music; it’s ended down a rabbit hole. She studied music in Sri Lanka, then North London, and finally graduated in performance at the University of Oxford – she was walking a path of classical music and chamber bands, but emerged from it interested in improvisation and extended techniques. A sense of musical egalitarianism flows through her work – as if she sees equal value in the most diametrically opposed sounds. Rather than siphon off these myriad styles, de Saram has often decided to balance them, crafting performances both solo and for ensemble that reflect different ideas and dynamics. The scope of her performances is immense: audiences are just as likely to hear de Saram flex on a 20th century piece as they are to hear an out-and-out jazz skronking. An appearance read more...