Photo: Foto by Eric
Bio
Rina Killmeyer´s flute - journey started on one of her first trips to India .In 2001 she studied under Shri Harsh Wardhan in Delhi and a year later she began studying under Maestro Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia in the Gurukul Vrindavan in Mumbai. Rina returned to India every year for the training with her Guru. and got a 5 years visa for her studies. She got guidance from Dhrupad Maestro Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar, Pt.Shyamal Chatterjee, Shri Partho Sarothy, Shri Kudamaloor Janardanan and Dr. Prahlad Nath, Daniel Bradley and Pt.Nityanand Haldipur.
Since 2011 Rina has been performing as a Solist and has been working with different musicians, dancers, as an accompanist of storytellers and guided meditations. She also composed music for a lyric project. She is founder and CEO of the association "Raga - Verein zur Förderung der indischen Musik" (an association who is promoting Indian music) in Vienna.
Performances at the Wiener Konzerthaus at "Hollywood in Vienna" 2017, with the Ensemble Filmharmonie in 2012, at Schallaburg, at the Indian Cultural Centre in Budapest, Hungary, with Venu - Katha 2013 , at the India Festival in Sarajevo and Mostar 2014, at the Internation Womens Day in Perpignan, France 2013, at Porgy & Bess with reformArtorchestra 2015, and 2016, cooperation with the austrian producer Erwin Kiennast who composed the music for the documentary film "Die Suche der Sherpas“ in 2011, and "Brahmaputra" 2017, "Improcomposition - Poetry in Motion" with Hans Echnaton Schano to the work of the artist Margot Pilz at La Musa, vienna, Lecture - Demonstration at the University Vienna, Music Sience Departement, 2013. Since 2015 Free improvisation with members of the reformArtunit and the pianist Markus Aubrecht. Cooperation with the Iranian storyteller Parvis Mamnun.
Concerts at Theater am Spittelberg, Lalish Theaterlabor, Brunnenpassage, Interkulttheater, Sargfabrik, University Vienna, Weltmuseum Wien, Natya Mandir, Theater Experiment, Musikpavillon Linz, Kulturzentrum Akku in Steyr, India Center Graz, Kunstgarten Graz, Syrnau in Zwettl, in India: Kottayam , Agonda, Kalkutta , and Mumbai.
Since 2011 Rina has been performing as a Solist and has been working with different musicians, dancers, as an accompanist of storytellers and guided meditations. She also composed music for a lyric project. She is founder and CEO of the association "Raga - Verein zur Förderung der indischen Musik" (an association who is promoting Indian music) in Vienna.
Performances at the Wiener Konzerthaus at "Hollywood in Vienna" 2017, with the Ensemble Filmharmonie in 2012, at Schallaburg, at the Indian Cultural Centre in Budapest, Hungary, with Venu - Katha 2013 , at the India Festival in Sarajevo and Mostar 2014, at the Internation Womens Day in Perpignan, France 2013, at Porgy & Bess with reformArtorchestra 2015, and 2016, cooperation with the austrian producer Erwin Kiennast who composed the music for the documentary film "Die Suche der Sherpas“ in 2011, and "Brahmaputra" 2017, "Improcomposition - Poetry in Motion" with Hans Echnaton Schano to the work of the artist Margot Pilz at La Musa, vienna, Lecture - Demonstration at the University Vienna, Music Sience Departement, 2013. Since 2015 Free improvisation with members of the reformArtunit and the pianist Markus Aubrecht. Cooperation with the Iranian storyteller Parvis Mamnun.
Concerts at Theater am Spittelberg, Lalish Theaterlabor, Brunnenpassage, Interkulttheater, Sargfabrik, University Vienna, Weltmuseum Wien, Natya Mandir, Theater Experiment, Musikpavillon Linz, Kulturzentrum Akku in Steyr, India Center Graz, Kunstgarten Graz, Syrnau in Zwettl, in India: Kottayam , Agonda, Kalkutta , and Mumbai.
Bansuri
The Northern Indian term for this flute is Bansuri. In Sanskrit "Ban" means bamboo and "Sur" means sound. The bambooflute associates with the flute playing of Lord Krishna, so it is very important in Indian Culture. Pannal Gosh (1911 - 1960) introduced the Bansuri into North Indian Classical Music. The most wellknown Indian flute artist of today is Pt.Hariprasad Chaurasia. Most of the ornaments and tonal variations essential to Indian music can be produced on the bamboo flute.
Indian Classical Music
Indian Classical Music is based on the system of RAGA, the melody form and TALA, the rhytmic cycle. The performance is accompenied by the Tanpura, a plucked string instrument.There are 2 music systems in India: Hindustani (North Indian) and Carnatic (South Indian) music.
A rage is based on a certain scale. Though each rage has a distinct structure, there is alot of scope for improvisation. "Ranjayathi iti Ragah" in Sanskrit means "Raga is that which colours the mind.". For a raga to colour the mind of the listener, its effect must be created not only through the notes and the embellishments, but also by the presentation of the specific emotion or mood characteristic of each raga according to the time cycle. Every human emotion, every subtile feeling in man and nature can be musically expressed and experienced. Indian arts are based on Nava Rasa, the 9 sentiments. The main sentiments are Shringara (romantic and erotic), Hasya (humorous), Karuna (pathetic): Raudra (anger): Veera (heroic): Bhayanaka (fearful): Vibhatsa (disgustful): Adbhuta (amazement): Shanta (peaceful). The emotion of the raga is expressed with the feelings of the artist, influenced by the temper of the listeners. The character of these emotions is very universal and doesnt depend on nationality . Especially in Hindustani music ragas are played at a certain time to the day or season. It is believed that only in this period the Raga appears to be at the height of its melodic beauty and majestic splendor and creates harmony. Body and mind are constantly undergoing subtle changes in different moments of the day stimulating different moods and emotions.The more closely the notes of a raga conform to the expression of one single idea or emotion, the more overwhelming is the effect of the raga.
A rage is based on a certain scale. Though each rage has a distinct structure, there is alot of scope for improvisation. "Ranjayathi iti Ragah" in Sanskrit means "Raga is that which colours the mind.". For a raga to colour the mind of the listener, its effect must be created not only through the notes and the embellishments, but also by the presentation of the specific emotion or mood characteristic of each raga according to the time cycle. Every human emotion, every subtile feeling in man and nature can be musically expressed and experienced. Indian arts are based on Nava Rasa, the 9 sentiments. The main sentiments are Shringara (romantic and erotic), Hasya (humorous), Karuna (pathetic): Raudra (anger): Veera (heroic): Bhayanaka (fearful): Vibhatsa (disgustful): Adbhuta (amazement): Shanta (peaceful). The emotion of the raga is expressed with the feelings of the artist, influenced by the temper of the listeners. The character of these emotions is very universal and doesnt depend on nationality . Especially in Hindustani music ragas are played at a certain time to the day or season. It is believed that only in this period the Raga appears to be at the height of its melodic beauty and majestic splendor and creates harmony. Body and mind are constantly undergoing subtle changes in different moments of the day stimulating different moods and emotions.The more closely the notes of a raga conform to the expression of one single idea or emotion, the more overwhelming is the effect of the raga.
Parts of a Raga in Hindustani Music
Alap is the opening section of a typical North Indian classical performance. It is an unmeasured form of melodic improvisation that introduces and develops a raga. The Raga slowly unfolds ist beauty and subtile expressions. Jhor, the second part of a raga has a simple pulse but no well-defined rhythmic cycle. It precedes to jhala, the climax. Only in the third part, the "Ghat", a melodic theme is introduced which is accompanied by the percussionist. The compositions are set to various rhythmic cycles. During a raga performance the speed is raised continuously.
Raga and Sprituality
„The system of Indian music known as Raga Sangeet can be traced back nearly two thousand years to its origin in the Vedic hymns of the Hindu temples, the fundamental source of all Indian music. Thus, as in Western music, the roots of Indian classical music are religious. To us, music can be a spiritual discipline on the path to self-realisation, for we follow the traditional teaching that sound is God - Nada Brahma: By this process individual consciousness can be elevated to a realm of awareness where the revelation of the true meaning of the universe - its eternal and unchanging essence - can be joyfully experienced. Our ragas are the vehicles by which this essence can be perceived.“ Ravi Shankar