Queens College New Music Group

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My name is Vasudevan Panicker (AKA: Vasu, b. 1987, New York City). I have created a distinct reputation for myself in New York City as a versatile pianist, composer and teacher.

Within a single week, I can be heard performing traditional western classical, contemporary-classical, original amplified new-music, improvised experimental noise-rock, electronic dance music or blues. I have broad interests over a variety of styles of music and a vigorous commitment to sharing music with audiences outside of the concert hall. This has enabled me to perform in many acclaimed amplified venues across New York City, such as CBGBs, The Knitting Factory, Galapagos Art Space, as well as in more traditional concert halls such as Symphony Space.

As a performer, I specialize in contemporary and experimental chamber music. As a composer, I hear my own music as kaleidoscope of colorful pitches and pulses. I like to pay special attention to rhythm and I like to give listeners the feeling of being whisked up and propelled forward. As a listener, I love groove and anything that makes people move, whether it is post-minimalism, electronic glitch or math-metal.

I am a graduate of New York City's LaGuardia Arts High School, where I won the Concerto Competition. I hold my undergraduate degree from CUNY and an Advanced Certificate from the Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College, CUNY. My love for contemporary and experimental music has enabled me to learn from authorities such as Michael Lipsey, Ursula Oppens, Bright Sheng and Jason Eckardt. My composition teachers have been Hubert Howe and Jeff Nichols. My piano teachers have been Delana Thomsen, Elizabeth M. Tobias and Donald Pirone.

As a teacher myself, I have been teaching since 2005. I maintain my own private teaching studio, in which I offer traveling lessons in piano, music theory, composition and ear training. I have taught group lessons, in a classroom, and 1 on 1, through various organizations in New York City such as Rutgers Church (Upper West Side), Experience BELL (South Bronx), Cultural Art Plaza (Sunset Park, BK) and Chinese Hawaiian Kenpo Academy (martial arts, Lower East Side).

I currently play in "Elevator Rose", which is a contemporary-classical group. We perform great "classical" music written during the last 50 years. Elevator Rose consists of myself, Derek Kwan, Joe Fee, Ela Polak, Larry Goldman, Adam Forman and Fred Trumpy.

My two groups that are hiatus are "Wonders", which is an electronic duo with Sasha Winn, and "Say Hello To Symphony", which is a smart-rock group that featured myself, Gabe Beltrone, David Cutler, Sasha Winn and Reuben Fuller-Bennett.

For more details, please contact me at the email listed above.
Friend me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/vasupanicker