Quotes Major Concerts HistoryReviews Quotes Major Concerts History
ROOP VERMA was born in a music-loving family of North India and grew up in an environment rich with art and culture. As a child he loved to split apart every toy he played with to investigate and discover his inborn search of "what is on the other side/inside?" His intense curiosity led him to search for inner dimensions in everything he did - painting, literature, science, soccer, yoga, meditation--and above all, music. His main inclination was towards the deeper aspects of music and its relationship with life. He received his M.A. in music from Gandharva Maha Vidyalya University in Pune, India and was formally trained under Maestros J.P. Kaushik, Ali Akbar Khan, and Ravi Shankar. Deeper dimensions were added to the spiritual quality of his music by his teachers, Swami Shyam of the Himalayas and Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati ( Ramamurti S. Mishra, M.D.). As a young apprentice, Roop Verma split apart every tune he learned and played, only to discover the "infinity" of emotional and spiritual experiences. These experiences became the flesh and bones of his music through years of self-analysis and inner search during the lonely and long nights when the rest of the world slept.
As a result, there was born an artist with a revolutionary musical personality, one of the pioneers of neo-expressionism in music which has forged its entry into the most competitive world of music. The magic of Roop's music is being appreciated the world over, with a totally different mechanism of human awareness--the meditative. His music is equipped with a vocabulary and language that will carry it into the twenty-first century. Roop leads a simple life and portrays that simplicity in his music. He has been successful in keeping his music, and himself, in the realm of sounds and rhythms, where there is no competition, and no ego or gimmicks--only pure music, and the peace and healing it offers.
"Roop is an extremely sensitive musician... To hear him play is to participate in the divinity of music..."
-The Ottawa Journal, Ottawa, Canada
"It became evident that he should not play an 'Encore'. It was a 'completeness' which had been presented."
-Vasterbottens-Kuriren, Umea, Sweden
"He was able, through his subtle play, to transform the audience into a state of meditative concentration."
-Schwabische Zertung, Weingarten, Germany
"Once he begins, musician and instrument become one... a meditative experience for creator as well as the listener."
-St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg, Florida
"The Sitar is a world in itself, extensive, limitless, with towering peaks and deep valleys. Roop Verma is an explorer and pioneer of this musical planet. His ascent to the zenith of music and his plumbing of the silences - these ventures are not to be missed. The spiritual heart of India can be felt in his musical outpourings. Nowhere is this pulse perceived more clearly and more beautifully than in Roop's music. Roop Verma conveys, in both solo and ensemble performances, the soul of India and in so doing, this virtuoso performer enables the listener to reach the heights within."
-George Bailin, President, International Schools of East West Unity.
"You read about concerts that are spiritual but they are rare. Roop Verma's concert was one of them".
-Gary Boerckel, Chairman, Department of Music, Lycoming College, Williamsport, PA.
"Roop's emergence from India's rich cultural leagacy has become a compelling voice in the international music scene."
-Lena Guyot, Drum-Roll Productions
"The music of Roop Verma takes us back into ourselves and leads us to discover the breathless depths of dreams, of beauty, the peaceful power, the unbroken faith, the dazzling wonder of bliss that we already possess."
Molly de Balkany (M. Balka), Writer, Geneva, Switzerland
Country/City |
Location |
Date |
| India | ||
| Chandigarh | Indian National Theater | August 1969 |
| Chandigarh | Institute of Higher Knowledge | March 1974 |
| Belguim | ||
| Gent | Studio Scoop | October 1974 |
| Gent | Royal Academy of Arts | October 1974 |
| Brussels | Anderlecht Cultural Center (On invitation of Government of Belguim) | March 1975 |
| Brussels | Palais Des Beaux Art De Bruxelles | October 1992 |
| Germany | ||
| Berlin | Trinitatis-Kirche, Charlottenberg | October 1994 |
| Berlin | Hochmeister Kirche | October 1995 |
| Scandinavia | ||
| Arhus(D) | The Conservatory of Music | April 1981 |
| Oslo(N) | International Forum | May 1981 |
| Copenhagen(D) | The Royal Danish Academy of Music | May 1981 |
| Stockholm(S) | The Etnografisk Museum | May 1981 |
| Arhus(D) | The Musikhuset | March 1984 |
| Stockholm(S) | Swedish National Radio | April 1984 |
| Sundsval(S) | Sundsval Museum (International Foreningen) | April 1984 |
| Umea(S) | Folkets Hus | March 1988 |
| Gothenberg(S) | Roska Museum | March 1988 & November1991 |
| Gothenberg(S) | Konserthus | October 1997 |
| Stockholm(S) | Berwaldhallen (Simultaneous Broadcast By Swedish National Radio and Television) | October 1997 |
| Czech Republic | ||
| Prague | Symphony Hall | October 1992 |
| Prague | Palac Kultury | March 1996 |
| Prague | Lucerna Hall | April 1998 |
| Prague | International School, presented by the Embassy of India | April 1999 |
| Bolivia | ||
| Cochabamba | International Music Festival (9,000 in house) | August 1995 |
| Switzerland | ||
| Geneva | 50th anniversary of the United Nations "Dialogue of Peace" | July 1995 |
| Canada | ||
| Drummondville | Cultural Center | January 1975 |
| Clarendon | Blue Skies Music Festival | August 1975 |
| Ottawa | Victoria Museum of Art | November 1975 & March 1976 |
| Montreal | Concordia University | March 1982 |
| Montreal | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (Simultaneous Broadcast) | March 1986 |
| United States | ||
| Oberlin, OH | The Conservatory of Music | December 1976, 1980, & 1987 |
| St. Petersburg, FL | Robert Music Center | October 1977 & 1978 |
| Burlington, VT | Mountain Greenery Performance Center | September 1978 |
| Burlington, VT | St. Paul Cathedral | October 1980 |
| De Kalb, IL | Northern Illinois University | July 1981 |
| New York, NY | Cathedral St John the Divine | November 1981 |
| Cleveland, OH | Cleveland Museum of Art | July 1982 |
| Cleveland, OH | Cleveland Convention Center | February 1983 |
| New York, NY | American Museum of Natural History | June 1983 |
| Tampa, FL | Indo-Pak Cultural Society | January 1984 |
| Knoxville, TN | University of Tennessee-Festival of India | October 1985 |
| Lexington, KY | University of Kentucky-Festival of India | October 1985 |
| Cleveland, OH | Cleveland Museum of Art-Festival of India | November 1985 |
| Tampa, FL | Arts Council of Florida | January, February, December 1987 |
| Potsdam, NY | Crane School of Music | October 1987 |
| Oneonta, NY | Upper Catskill Community Council of the Arts-at Anderson Theatre | June 1988 & 1989 |
| Boston, MA | Sanders Theatre, Harvard University | November 1988 |
| Ithaca, NY | Statler Auditorium, Cornell University | March 1989 |
| Rochester, NY | Kilbourn Hall, Eastman School of Music | April 1989 |
| Binghampton, NY | Roberson Center for the Arts and Sciences | August 1989 |
| Burlington, VT | ROOP VERMA ENSEMBLE (World Premier) | October 1990 |
| Dayton, OH | University of Dayton-Arts Series | February 1992 |
| Oneonta, NY | Hartwick College - Foreman Creative and Performing Arts Series | November 1999 |
| France | ||
| Cogolin | Ecole Internationale-Trimurti | May & October 1993 |
| Antibes | Terre en Fete-Festival Bleu | September 1997 |
The standard format of the above mentioned concerts has been:
The Sitar in the the lead, accompanied by the Tabla and one or two Tambouras
© 2000 by atma spheres