about/mission statement:
Spruce Ritual is a musical ensemble dedicated to exploring the convergence of South Asian and Western contemporary classical music traditions. We cultivate cross-cultural understanding and create new pathways for musical expression that honor both heritage and innovation. We also collaborate with other artistic disciplines, such as dance, poetry, theatre, and the visual arts. In addition, we provide a creative platform for South Asian musicians to develop new work for our ensemble through co-composition, collaborative arranging, and artistic partnership, expanding opportunities for intercultural music-making.
current projects:
our musical ensemble performing original music and traditional raga.
spruce ritual: In sacred motion
our musical ensemble + kathak dance from karishma sharma (monsoon dance company)
current musicians:
lucian kano balmer (director, violin, vocals)
charith premawardhana (viola)
robin reynolds (cello)
will marsh (sitar)
souryadeep bhattacharyya (sarod)
sristhi biyani oswal (bansuri, vocals)
josh mellinger (tabla)
previous and associated Musician’s and performers:
william rossel (tabla)
Joanna Mack (sitar)
Nils bultmann (viola)
Hannah addarrio-berry (cello)
nazan aktas (cello)
Ivo bokulic (viola)