An evening of Carnatic and Irish contemporary music, featuring Sikkil C. Gurucharan, Aisling Agnew and an exceptional ensemble.

An Evening of Carnatic and Irish Contemporary Music

Acclaimed Carnatic vocalist Kalaimamani Sikkil C. Gurucharan and Belfast flautist Aisling Agnew, Artistic Director of the Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble, lead a special evening bringing together musicians from Carnatic and Irish contemporary classical traditions.

The concert brings two distinct musical worlds into the same space. Each tradition is first presented through its own musical language and ensemble, before the artists come together in a specially developed collaborative performance centred on listening, improvisation and musical dialogue.

Sikkil C. Gurucharan, one of the leading Carnatic vocalists of his generation, will be accompanied by Sruthi Ravali on violin and Sri Somasundara Desigar on mridangam.

The Irish presentation is led by Aisling Agnew on flute, alongside Belfast musicians David McCann on cello and Richard Allen on harp. Together, they bring extensive experience across contemporary music, chamber performance, orchestral music, new composition and international artistic collaborations.

The evening offers audiences an opportunity to encounter both traditions in their own right, while also exploring what can emerge when musicians with very different musical backgrounds share a stage.

Kalaimamani Sikkil C. Gurucharan — Carnatic Vocal

Sikkil C. Gurucharan is one of today's foremost exponents of Carnatic music, admired for his resonant voice, musical sensitivity and an approach firmly grounded in tradition while remaining open to creative exploration.

His musical foundation was shaped under Vaigal Sri S. Gnanaskandan and later through the guidance of Sri B. Krishnamurthy. He has attained the prestigious TOP Grade recognition from All India Radio, the highest artist grading awarded by the broadcaster.

Gurucharan has received several distinguished honours, including the Kalaimamani, conferred by the Government of Tamil Nadu, and the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar of the Sangeet Natak Akademi. His other recognitions include Isai Peroli and Shanmukha Sironmani, and he was named by India Today among its 35 Game Changers Under 35.

A recipient of the Nehru-Fulbright Excellence Award, Gurucharan has also participated in academic and cultural programmes in the United States, including an artist residency at the University of California, Davis.

Collaboration has been an important part of his artistic journey. His long-standing work with pianist Anil Srinivasan has explored the meeting of Carnatic voice and piano, while his participation in the landmark album Miles from India placed him alongside musicians including John McLaughlin, U. Srinivas and Louis Banks. The album received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Album.

Alongside traditional Carnatic concerts, his work has extended to recordings, interdisciplinary projects, education and cinema. Through these different settings, his music remains rooted in the melodic depth, improvisational freedom and expressive grammar of the Carnatic tradition.

Aisling Agnew — Flute

Belfast flautist Aisling Agnew has developed a wide-ranging international career spanning contemporary music, chamber performance, orchestral work and artistic collaboration.

She has performed across Europe, Asia and the Americas at festivals including Warsaw Autumn, Jeonju International Sori Festival, New Music Dublin, Celtic Connections, Belfast International Arts Festival and the NFA Flute Convention in Las Vegas.

A graduate of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Aisling has received support and awards from organisations including the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Creative Scotland and the Belfast Classical Music Bursary.

She is both flautist and Artistic Director of Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble, one of Northern Ireland's leading contemporary music ensembles. Through this work, she has commissioned, premiered and recorded a wide range of new music and collaborated closely with composers and creative musicians.

Her performance highlights include appearances with Camerata Ireland and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, as well as performances celebrating the work of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. Her recordings have been broadcast on BBC Radio, RTÉ lyric fm and Classic FM, and her latest album, Alone, was released in 2025.

Alongside performing, Aisling has an extensive background in music education and currently teaches flute at Queen's University Belfast. In 2026 she also helped establish the Four Corners Flute Orchestra, working with partners from across Ireland.

Sruthi Ravali — Carnatic Violin

Sruthi Ravali accompanies Sikkil C. Gurucharan on Carnatic violin.

Born into a family of musicians in Visakhapatnam, she began her musical training at an early age under her mother, Smt. Manda Sudharani, and studied Carnatic v

Description supplied by the event organiser.