Enchanting Flutes
An Indo-French classical concert
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20th March 2025 – 7 PM
Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal
Flute is associated through the world with enchantment, nature and magic power: the poetry of Mallarmé about Pan echoes the Krishna depicted in Surdas verses. With two masters of flute from France and India, “Les flûtes enchantées” (Enchanting flutes) takes you through the musical repertoire of the enchanting flute players. A rare jugalbandi between the bansuri and the silver flute on the incredible rhythms of Abhishek Mishra on tabla.
Artists biography
Samuel Bricault is trained in classical transverse flute and traverso, notably at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris, the Royal Academy in London and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. His classical career has led him to perform in chamber music (with the Van Kuijk Quartet, Claire Désert, Emmanuel Strausser, Olivier Charlier, Sarah Margaine), in Orchestras (Orchestre National de France, Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse, Orchestre National de Bordeaux, Orchestre National de Montpellier), in Contemporary music ensembles (Ensemble intercontemporain, Le Balcon, Ars Nova, Ensemble Maja) and as a Soloist with orchestra (notably in Russia and Colombia). He is part of the baroque ensemble Marilou, a multi-instrumentalist quintet specializing in 18th century French music. He also trained in Indian music, in France and in India with Pt. Rajendra Prasanna. Today he continues his research around traditional music centered on Indian music with the duo Badmash that he forms with the cellist/sitarist Volodia van Keulen. He is part of the groups Titanic on the Gange (Traditional Irish music duo), and Bicarbonate de Saudade (Brazilian music quartet).
Rishab Prasanna belongs to a family of musicians from Benares, son and disciple of the great master Pt. Rajendra Prasanna, His grandfather, Raghunath Prasanna, a Sangeet Natak Academy awardee, and one of the great poineer of Indian flute. Today, imbued with this ancestral tradition and engaged in a modern musical world, Rishab has been navigating since his teenage between traditional stages and the music festivals of the world. He has collaborated with many artists from very diverse backgrounds (Marc Nammour, Pedro Soler, Ballaké Cissoko, Thierry Pécou) and has already performed on major international stages (Philharmonie de Paris- Salle Pierre Boulez, Hamburg Philharmonie, Festival of World Sacred Music, Sydney Opera House & WOMAD festival (Australia and New Zealand), Darbar festival (United Kingdom), Festival de l’imaginaire (France), Festival d’Avignon, 75th anniversary of UNESCO in Paris, France, 2021 WOMAD Festival in Sydney, Darbar Festival in London, Festival of Sacred Music in Fez, Festival d’Avignon). He was appointed cultural ambassador of the city of Toulouse in 2016 and has worked for French cinema (“Le sens de la fête” (2017) by Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache or “Monsieur” by Rohena Gera).
The Indian government decorated him in 2022 with the prestigious title “Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar”. In October 2016, he was appointed “Ambassador of the city of Toulouse”, a city of South of France.
Born in a family of musicians, Abhishek Mishra is one of the gifted tabla players from the Benaras style of playing. Son of Pt. Birendra Nath Mishra, he has started to learn tabla at an early age with his grandfather, Pt. Surendra Mohan Mishra, before getting the guidance of Pt. Pooran Maharaj and Pt. Kumar Bose. Abhishek is a top grade artist from All India Radio & Doordarshan. He is a tabla soloist and an accomplished tabla accompanist: he is regularly accompanying senior Hindustani artists in renowned music festivals. He has performed with Pt. Birju Maharaj, Smt. Girija Devi, Pt. Rajan-Sajan Mishra, Smt. N. Rajam, Pt. Rajendra Prasanna, etc. He is a Top graded tabla artist by All India Radio.