Sikkil C. Gurucharan & Aisling Agnew: Carnatic & Irish Music at Harty Hall
About this Event
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 violin for more than a decade under the late Sri Ivaturi Vijayeswara Rao.
She has continued her musical development under distinguished musicians including Vidwan R. K. Shriramkumar and Vidwan T. M. Krishna and is an A-Grade Artist of All India Radio.
Sruthi was the recipient of the Naad-Bhed – The Mystery of Sound award presented by SPIC MACAY and Doordarshan. Her performing career has included appearances at the Cleveland Tyagaraja Aradhana, Madras Music Academy programmes and several prominent Carnatic music institutions and sabhas.
Her background as both a vocalist and violinist brings particular sensitivity to the musical exchange between voice and violin that lies at the heart of the Carnatic concert tradition.
Sri Somasundara Desigar — Mridangam
Sri Somasundara Desigar is an established Carnatic percussionist and exponent of the mridangam, the principal percussion instrument of the Carnatic concert tradition.
He began his training under the late Sri A. S. Ramanathan at the Ramanathan Academy in Sri Lanka before undertaking advanced training under legendary mridangam maestro Guru Karaikudi R. Mani.
His performance career has included leading platforms in India such as The Music Academy, Chennai and Krishna Gana Sabha, alongside concerts throughout Europe, Australia and Canada.
Based in the United Kingdom, he has also contributed significantly to the development of Carnatic percussion education in Europe and serves as Head of Percussion at OFAAL.
His rhythmic command and experience as an accompanist bring structure, responsiveness and spontaneous dialogue to the Carnatic ensemble.
David McCann — Cello
Belfast-born cellist David McCann studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and maintains a diverse career as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral player and composer.
He is a founding member of the Belfast-based Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble, with whom he has performed throughout the UK and Ireland as well as in the Netherlands, Germany, Poland and China.
David has also appeared with orchestras including the Hallé Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Camerata Ireland, RTÉ Concert Orchestra and Ireland's National Symphony Orchestra.
A committed advocate for new music, he has premiered numerous works for cello and has collaborated across contemporary music, dance, film and popular music. His work as a composer further extends his exploration of the cello beyond conventional repertoire.
Richard Allen — Harp
Belfast-born harpist Richard Allen trained initially as a pianist and traditional Irish harper before studying at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance and later at the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne.
In 2026, he was appointed Principal Harp of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.
As a soloist, Richard has performed concertos and recitals across the UK and internationally, including appearances with the Ulster Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, as well as performances at the Clandeboye Festival, Cheltenham Music Festival and St Martin-in-the-Fields.
His awards include prizes at the Félix Godefroid International Harp Competition, the North London Camac Competition and the BBC Young Musician's Platform Award.
Alongside his orchestral and solo career, Richard is active as an educator and has given courses and masterclasses at institutions including the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Royal Irish Academy of Music and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.
Agenda
🕑: 05:45 PM - 06:00 PM
Introduction
🕑: 06:00 PM - 06:35 PM
Irish Ensemble Presentation
🕑: 06:35 PM - 07:20 PM
Carnatic Vocal Recital
🕑: 07:20 PM - 07:30 PM
Break
🕑: 07:30 PM - 08:00 PM
Irish-Indian Musical Presentation
🕑: 08:00 PM - 08:15 PM
Closing Ceremony
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
EUR 0.00 to EUR 65.33
