Name: Avadhut Kasinadhuni
Nationality: Indian-Romanian
Occupation: Tabla player
Recent release: Avadhut Kasinadhuni joins Sara Eslami and Mohamad Zatari for the Mohamad Zatari Trio's Istehlal. The album is out January 27th 2023 via Zehra.
Recommendations: Bhaya kaya taya, Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 537, George Enescu 3rd Sonata.

[Read our Sara Eslami interview]
[Read our Mohamad Zatari interview]



When did you start writing/producing/playing music and what or who were your early passions and influences? What was it about music and/or sound that drew you to it?

I started playing music professionally and officially in 2006 and the early influences were my school and parents, of course. I was not drawn to it but was sent to music classes.

In time, as I grew up, I started to appreciate it more and actually desire a career in music. I do it for my soul first of all.

When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening and how does it influence your approach to creativity?

During the auditioning of a piece I usually feel a mixture of sentiments and states.

But the dominant sensation would be the feeling of the music’s vibrations - though not every single time. These vibratory experiences are the main influence on my creativity in my performance and interpretation.

How would you describe your development as an artist in terms of interests and challenges, searching for a personal voice, as well as breakthroughs?

First of all I want to become a better musician. One who can perform and play much more advanced pieces of music difficulty-wise. But at the same time, I would also like to improve myself for the audience, the people who are listening to me.

Tell me a bit about your sense of identity and how it influences both your preferences as a listener and your creativity as an artist, please.

Since I grew up mostly in a European Classical Music environment, I believe it has had a very big impact on my upbringing, my music preferences and on my limitations in art / culture as well.

What, would you say, are the key ideas behind your approach to music and art?

One must discuss with colleagues and friends how to play, perform and improvise on the respective music.

However, in a classical setup, respecting the score and the indications of the composer is quite important.

How would you describe your views on topics like originality and innovation versus perfection and timelessness in music? Are you interested in a “music of the future” or “continuing a tradition”?

I am quite sure that both have their role and a real value in any type of profession, especially in ours. It is a diverse topic to debate and analyze, in my opinion, each and every individual must bring forward their own view and then a common denominator should be found in each case case.

All of this is assuming that this form of public consultation is allowed. If it isn't, the dominant and most convincing argument wins.

Over the course of your development, what have been your most important instruments and tools - and what are the most promising strategies for working with them?

Throughout my evolution as an artist the most important anchors in life were

• the belief that I must succeed or starve,
• my family and, let us say,
• an imposed discipline from a few professors and various collaborations with a large number of colleagues and artists.

Take us through a day in your life, from a possible morning routine through to your work, please.

I wake up, meditate if possible, have my morning meal and then go to work. After that I try to get some lunch and fulfill the rest of the day’s house tasks and some homework or practice.

Could you describe your creative process on the basis of a piece, live performance or album that's particularly dear to you, please?

This depends on the type of music you're playing.

If it is classical, the focus should be on respecting the score’s annotations, desired characters and dynamics. If it is a much more improvisational style, then observing the music and the ethos of the piece will matter most; adding to that personal spontaneity plays an important role as well.

Listening can be both a solitary and a communal activity. Likewise, creating music can be private or collaborative. Can you talk about your preferences in this regard and how these constellations influence creative results?

Overall, I prefer group based collaboration since many brains together are almost always better than a single one. I am mostly active in a symphonic setting, which means that there is already inherently a tendency towards collectivity rather than individualism.   

How do your work and your creativity relate to the world and what is the role of music in society?

I believe that my role in this world is to serve the people and try to make their tough lives better. The same can be said for the role of music.

Art can be a way of dealing with the big topics in life: Life, loss, death, love, pain, and many more. In which way and on which occasions has music – both your own or that of others - contributed to your understanding of these questions?

Difficult to say … On some days, I may not feel energized or may be in a melancholic type of state. If this is the case, I may put on some Mozart to raise my morale just as an example. On other days I may be vivacious and listen to some traditional party music, while in some moments I prefer to listen to Indian Classical Music since it verily makes me rejoice inwardly and helps me become more spiritually aware.

How do you see the connection between music and science and what can these two fields reveal about each other?

In my opinion the connection exists in physics related acoustics and especially when it comes to designing and projecting concert halls and other cultural venues.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

In my personal experience, I reveal my deeply personal side when performing in front of people - something which I am not fully capable of doing under any other circumstances.

Music is vibration in the air, captured by our ear drums. From your perspective as a creator and listener, do you have an explanation how it able to transmit such diverse and potentially deep messages?

I know that it is the brain and the central nervous system that interprets these sounds and tries to draw meaning from the music’s vibrations. The style of music and its goals also play a large role in conveying us the respective states of being.