L. Subramaniam

A virtuoso electric violinist from South India who mirrors Jean-Luc Ponty in technical command, Subramaniam has pursued an unceasing exploration of diverse musical idioms and stands among the earliest figures to craft thoughtful blends of European classical traditions, American jazz, rock, and South Indian forms. His initial guidance came from his father, a master Indian violinist, and his mother, an exponent of the Indian vina. After setting aside plans for a medical career, he assembled a violin trio alongside his two brothers while still based in India. In 1974 he joined Ravi Shankar and ex-Beatle George Harrison for concerts across America and Europe; the same decade saw him record his first fusion project, Garland, in Copenhagen and supply compositions to Stu Goldberg and Larry Coryell in 1978. Late in the 1970s he relocated to the Los Angeles area to pursue a doctorate in Western music at the California Institute of the Arts, where he also instructed students in South Indian music. During the 1980s he directed an ensemble that featured Coryell, George Duke, and Tom Scott, and he produced a series of compelling Milestone albums—among them a collaboration with Stephane Grappelli—that merged classical repertoire, electric and acoustic jazz, and South Indian elements. Subramaniam has additionally composed for symphony orchestras; his Violin Concerto places straightforward Hollywood-style romantic writing alongside South Indian instruments and formal designs. Global Fusion, his first release on the Erato Detour imprint, appeared in 1999.