Violinist Vijay Gupta and Kuchipudi dancer Yamini Kalluri come together in the captivating performance “When the Violin,” a fusion of music and dance that blends works by Reena Esmail and J.S. Bach with traditional and contemporary Kuchipudi movement.
The program is named after Esmail’s piece When the Violin, originally written for choir and obligato violin or cello, but later adapted by Esmail into a solo violin work specifically for Gupta. This intimate arrangement was designed for remote performance during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Gupta premiered it online in June 2020. The Strad praised the piece as “haunting and utterly beautiful.”
Alongside this, Gupta and Kalluri perform selected movements — Adagio, Fuga, Siciliana, and Presto — from J.S. Bach’s technically demanding Sonata in G minor BWV 1001. The sonata shifts seamlessly from grand, improvisatory passages to gentle, lyrical ones, concluding with a rapid, perpetual motion finale.
Kalluri, a highly respected Kuchipudi dancer based in New York City, embodies both traditional discipline and modern innovation. Known for her elegance, precision, and dedication to excellence, she reinterprets Kuchipudi to resonate with audiences worldwide.
Gupta’s multifaceted career spans performance, speaking, and authorship. As the founding artistic director of Street Symphony, he champions music’s power to heal and connect communities, from prisons and Skid Row in Los Angeles to concert halls and universities globally. Beginning his professional journey at 11 with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta, Gupta became the youngest violinist ever to join a top American orchestra when he joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic at age 19, where he played for 12 years. He is now sought after as a soloist and collaborator, having worked with notable artists including the Kronos Quartet, Yo-Yo Ma, and folk legend Pete Seeger.
