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Watch “Making the Music of Heavenly Sword”
As you likely know, Nitin has composed the score for the highly anticipated Playstation game "Heavenly Sword". Sony has created a series of "Making Of" videos, including one about creating the score. Click
the link to see Nitin talking about the game’s music and working with
the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
http://www.us.playstation.com/heavenlysword/media_video.html?v=16647
September/11/2007
NitinSawhney.com has been redesigned
Welcome to the new NitinSawhney.com. We’ll be making frequent adjustments and additions to the site, and welcome your comments and suggestions. You can visit the Forums to let us know what you think.
The new site features a music player containing four full-length tracks, a new photo gallery, an audience reaction area, and a Discography. We’ve also got more to come, including the official NitinSawhney.com Store. Join the mailing list and check back regularly to stay informed and see what’s new. Thanks for visiting.
September/06/2007
Free Concert in Trafalgar Square
A very special live screening of Franz Osten’s 1929 silent film classic, A Throw of Dice, accompanied by a live orchestral performance of Nitin Sawhney’s original score, will be performed by Nitin Sawhney, the London Symphony Orchestra, and special guests Ashwin Srinivasan, Tina Grace, and Reena Bhardwaj, on Thursday, August 30. This will be the first open-air performance of this show in England since its sold-out premiere at the the Barbican last year.
The film has been digitally restored by the BFI National Archive, and this special event is currently touring with some of the world’s leading orchestras, having already been performed in Holland, Italy, and Australia. The show begins at 9:00 pm and is part of the India Now Festival. This event is free of charge.
The performers for the evening will be:
Nitin Sawhney (celeste, grand piano)
Aref Durvesh (tabla)
Ashwin Srinivasan (flutes)
Reena Bhardwaj (vocals)
Tina Grace (vocals)
The London Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Stephen Hussey
August/16/2007
How To Get Tickets For Proms And More Guests Announced!
As part of the Proms tradition, 1400 tickets known as “Prommers” will be released on the day of the show at a cost of £5 each. The doors open one hour before the show and tickets are sold on a first come first served basis. We would suggest you arrive early and queue so as not to be disappointed.
Further guests confirmed for Nitin Sawhney’s Prom
Guests include Imogen Heap, Fink, and Anoushka Shankar
10 August 2007, 9.00pm
Royal Albert Hall (and live on BBC Radio 3)
Nitin Sawhney, one of the most significant creative forces in modern music, is gathering together a sensational group of friends including Natacha Atlas, Jason Singh, Reena Bhardwaj, Fink, Tina Grace, Imogen Heap, Akram Khan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, and Anoushka Shankar to explore the many aspects of his album and collaborative works for the first time. The concert will feature the London Undersound Symphony Orchestra, a specially created 60-piece collective of both Indian and Western classical musicians brought together for this event. Nitin will also showcase new material at this one-off BBC Proms concert in the Royal Albert Hall on 10 August.
He says: “For many years I have been working not only as an album and live artist but also as a composer for film, theatre, videogames, and dance. Having worked extensively with orchestras across the world, the BBC Proms is giving me the unprecedented opportunity to bring together some of that work through a specially created symphony orchestra of talent from both India and the UK. I will also be joined on stage by some of my favourite artists and past collaborators to complete a night of evocative journeys, shifting from the intimate to the epic”.
Following the success of his Electric Proms appearance in 2006, Nitin, his special guests, and his London Undersound Symphony Orchestra will deliver a high-powered performance comprising of his past and current works, which between them have garnered around a dozen awards including a South Bank Show Award, a MOBO, two EMMAs, two BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards and Ivor Novello, Laurence Olivier and Technics Mercury Music Prize nominations.
The current line-up for this BBC Proms includes:
Nitin Sawhney (piano, guitar)
The London Under Sound Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Stephen Hussey
| Akram Khan (dancer/choreographer) |
| Anoushka Shankar (sitar) |
| Aref Durvesh (tabla) |
| Ashwin Srinivasan (flute) |
| Fink (vocals) |
| Ges-e and Osmani Soundz (FX) |
| Hazel Fernandes (vocals) |
| Ian Burdge (cello) |
| Imogen Heap (vocals) |
|
| Jason Singh (vocal percussion) |
| Karlos Edwards (drums) |
| Lucita Jules (vocals) |
| Natacha Atlas (vocals) |
| Reena Bhardwaj (vocals) |
| Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (dancer/choreographer) |
| Steve Shehan (percussion) |
| Tina Grace (vocals) |
| |
|
August/07/2007
Excitement Building Over "Heavenly Sword"
Excitement has been building in the video gaming community, based on demo reviews of the highly-anticipated PS3 game from Ninja Theory, Heavenly Sword.
IGN Entertainment had this to say of the score composed by Nitin, after trying out the game:
One of the first, most notable aspects of the game is the rich and illustrious music. An apparent blend of eastern and western mentalities, the lilting strings and eerie chimes create an almost perfect tone for Heavenly Sword. If the opening tracks are any indication of the quality of the game's score, fans are in for a real treat.
Pro-G noted that the score "...has a range and depth that matches its creator. Both the soundtrack and the audio effects are incredibly reactive to on-screen action".
The game is being released exclusively by Sony for Playstation 3 and is expected to be on store shelves in September of 2007.
August/01/2007
Nitin To Speak at AIM AGM
Nitin will be the keynote speaker at the UK's Association of Independent Music's (AIM) June 28 Annual General Meeting. The AGM is being held at London Calling at Earls Court. AIM will also have a presence at the event with the AIM UK Pavilion, which is "[t]ailored specifically for UK indie labels, publishers and managers to promote their business to the thousands of delegates attending London Calling by having a physical presence at the show."
Nitin will be speaking primarily about his multi award-winning work, and the challenges facing record companies in understanding and harnessing the potential of artists capable of working across a broad range of media platforms.
June/19/2007
Nitin Taking Part In Benefit At Royal Court
Nitin will be taking part in a special weekend event to benefit Human Rights Watch. Cries from the Heart is
a one-off charity performance at the Royal Court Downstairs. The
“evening of readings, poetry and music on the theme of migration” will
also feature performances by Julie Christie, Sophie Okonedo, Eileen
Atkins, Jeremy Irons, Sinéad Cusack, Juliet Stevenson, and playwright
Tom Stoppard. Although tickets for the event are sold out, patrons can
e-mail Human Rights Watch to be put on a waiting list.
June/14/2007
'A Throw Of Dice' at Italy’s Arezzo Wave Festival on July 17!
Nitin Sawhney’s live orchestral performances of his score to Franz Osten’s 1929 silent classic “A Throw of Dice” continues to capture people’s imagination around the world.
Having been performed in London, Amsterdam, and most recently Auckland, the next live orchestral Throw of Dice performance will be held at Italy’s Arezzo Wave Festival on July 17th.
See here for more information.
May/31/2007
Nitin Sawhney In Conversation
Monday April 30 @ 8.45pm
Nitin Sawhney will appear at the NFT for the first in their 'Music & Film' series with record label V2, currently celebrating their 10th Anniversary. Artists associated to the label discuss the role cinema has played in their careers and how they approach film scoring. Sawhney has released seven critically acclaimed albums and scored over 80 film, television and theatre productions. Recent credits include a symphony for the LSO to accompany the 1929 silent film, A Throw of Dice, and an original score for Mira Nair's The Namesake.
For NFT tickets, book online at http://www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/southbank/film/7287 or call the Box Office 020 7928 3232 (lines open 11.30am - 8.30pm)
April/24/2007
Fallujah
The Nitin Sawhney-scored theatrical production Fallujah draws on research and interviews carried out by the playwright and triple Nobel Prize nominee Dr. Scilla Elworthy. This play presents testimony from those at the heart of the siege.: Iraqi civilians, clerics, US military and politicians, journalists, medics, aid workers, and the British Army. None of this testimony has been heard before. Every word of thisplay is verbatim. This unique event stars Harriet Walter and marks the first time collaboration between writer Jonathan Holmes, composer Nitin Sawhney, and artists Lucy and Jorge Orta.
Fallujah: {www.fallujah.co.uk}
May 1st - June 2nd at The Old Truman Brewery, Bricklane, London
April/13/2007
6 Nights At The Jazz Cafe
After years of touring the world and releasing award-winning records, Nitin Sawhney makes a welcomed return to London’s 400 capacity Jazz Cafe for 6 consecutive nights to round off another hugely successful year. The set of shows, at £35 a ticket, will see Sawhney perform a new 90-minute acoustic set. Sawhney will be performing new renditions of tracks from his vast catalogue, and will be joined by a myriad of special guests. Nasha DJs Ges-e and Osmani Soundz will open the evening, and the show will feature vocals from Fink, Reena Bhardwaj, Natacha Atlas, Sharon Duncan, Tina Grace, and Ashvin Srinivasan. Instrumentation by Nitin Sawhney (guitar, keys, Rhodes, vox), Karlos Edwards (percusssion), Jason Singh (vocal percussion), Ian Burdge (cello), Ashvin Srinivasan (flute), and Aref Durvesh (tablas). Without question the hottest ticket in town.
{Click here for more info}
December/01/2006
BBC Electric Proms 2006 - Watch the Show Online!
Nitin Sawhney and Special Guests, Electric Proms 2006 - Footage now available to watch online!
{Click Me!}
October/10/2006
BBC Electric Proms 2006
In the intimate 100-capacity Roudhouse Freedom Studio, Nitin Sawhney will play host to a two-hour event featuring a very special line-up of guest musicians and vocalists. Nasha DJs Ges-e and Osmani Soundz will open the night, which will see performances by Nitin Sawhney and members of his band, alongside the vocal talents of Laura Izibor, Fink, Natacha Atlas, Reena Bhardwaj, Tina Grace, and Will Young.
The Full Line-up:
Hosted by Nitin Sawhney on piano and guitar
Musicians:
Ashwin Srinivasan (Indian flute)
Aref Durvesh (Tabla/Dholak)
Ges-e Osmani Soundz (Opening DJ set)
Ian Burdge (Cello)
Jason Singh (Vocal Percussion)
Karlos Edwards (Percussion)
Vocalists:
Fink (also on Guitar)
Laura Izibor (also on Piano)
Natacha Atlas
Reena Bhardwaj
Tina Grace
Will Young (guest appearance)
Visuals:
Yeast
Nitin Sawhney will also be playing a select set of dates at the Jazz Cafe, London on December 5th, 6th, and 7th. Check the tour section for more info.
Click {here} to find out how to win tickets to Nitin Sawhney at the Electric Proms.
September/26/2006
PS3 / Heavenly Sword
We can now announce that 'Heavenly Sword', perhaps the most anticipated game in videogames history, will be scored by Nitin Sawhney. Heavenly Sword is an action-packed and visually breathtaking martial arts adventure designed and developed by Ninja Theory exclsuively for Sony Playstation 3. Sawhney's score will be delivered in December and we expect the game to be released in early 2007.
More on the game from Ninja Theory:
Heavenly Sword is a stunningly beautiful martial arts drama designed exclusively as a next-generation console game. The storyline concerns a girl with only a few days left to live who embarks on one final act of redemption against a king and his invading army. Heavenly Sword employs state-of-the-art technology and gameplay to take players through a roller coaster of emotion and action that truly exploits the potential of gaming as the new artistic entertainment medium.
Following the first peak of the game at this year's E3 Conference, Heavenly Sword/Ninja Theory picked up this impressive list of honours, which you can read more about on their website.
{Click here for Ninja Theory's website}
August/14/2006
A Throw Of Dice Live With The Auckland Philharmonia
"A Throw of Dice (Live)" will be staged at the Auckland Festival 2007 in New Zealand. Since its premiere with the London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican Centre, A Throw of Dice has been performed with the Metropole Orchestra in Holland as part of the Holland Festival. Next year will see this show travel to New Zealand where Nitin Sawhney and his guest musicians will perform the score with the The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra at the stunning Civic Theatre on the 16th and 17th of March 2007.
See the live section of the website for updates on A Throw of Dice confirmed shows.
{Auckland Festival 2007 Website}
August/13/2006
'The Namesake' Tailer Online
The official trailer for Mira Nair's 'The Namesake' is now online. The film is set for release in the Autumn of this year, and features an original score by Nitin Sawhney.
{Watch the Trailer here}
June/01/2006
BBC Radio Crossing 3 Boundary Crossing Award
Nitin Sawhney has won the BBC Radio 3 Boundary Crossing Award. The Award Ceremony will be held at London's Brixton Academy on Friday April 7th, where Sawhney will perform 1 track on the evening.
BBC Radio 3 will broadcast the concert on Monday 10th April at 7.30pm. Highlights of the concert will be broadcast on BBC 4 on Saturday 8th April.
{More info}
February/28/2006
Nitin Sawheny and LSO Bring Back 'A Throw of Dice'
{Official website}
German Director Franz Osten's 1929 classic 'A Throw of Dice' will be brought back to life at London's Barbican Theatre on April 21st, 2006 courtesy of Nitin Sawhney, special guest musicians, and the London Symphony Orchestra.
A Throw of Dice is the third silent film in a trilogy by Franz Osten, seen by many as one the finest and most accomplished directors of all time. The film has not been on general release for over 70 years and is an undiscovered treasure from the British Film Institute Archive.
Based on the pivotal gambling episode from the Maharabata 'A Throw of Dice' is a love story that tells the story of Ranjit and the nefarious Sohat, two kings with a passion for gambling and the same woman, Sunita. One day Ranjit wagers everything in a crooked game of dice and loses it all, his crown and Sunita (his bride to be) and is forced to become the scheming Sohat's slave. Through a turn of fate Sohat's evil deeds are uncovered and undone, and as a result, he hurls himself off a cliff into the raging rapids below. Sunita and Ranjit are reunited, finding true love.
A Throw of Dice - World Premiere
FRIDAY APRIL 21, 2006
:THE BARBICAN THEATRE:
Barbican Centre
Silk Street
London EC2Y 8DS
Doors open: 7 PM
Box Office:
+44 (0)20 7638 8891
9am-8pm daily
February/01/2006
Nitin Sawhney Completes Score for 'The Namesake'
Nitin Sawhney has completed his score for Mira Nair's next feature film, 'The Namesake.' Based on the novel by Pulitzer-Prize winning author Jhumpa Lahiri, the film stars Irfan Khan, Tabu, Kal Penn, Zuleikha Robinson, and Jacinda Barrett.
The music was recorded in Mumbai, London, and New York City. The Philharmonia Orchestra were recorded at Angel Studios, London.
'The Namesake' will be released in the Autumn of this year through Fox Searchlight Pictures.
Mirabai films can be found here: www.mirabai.com
{READ MORE ABOUT THE SCORE HERE!}
January/31/2006
Nitin Sawhney to Support the Stop the War Coalition
Nitin Sawhney will be making a special guest appearance on Sunday November 27th at London's Astoria to support the Stop the war Coalition alongside Imogen Heap, Brian Eno, and The Rachid Taha Band. He will perform 3 acoustic tracks on the night. Eclectic Method will also be in the house, serving up their unique audio/visual experience.
The gig's purpose is to raise money to support military families who are seeking an independent inquiry into the legality of the war and who have been refused legal aid. They need thousands of pounds to be able to continue their action which will force Tony Blair and his cohorts into the witness box.
Stop the War Coalition is the main organised opposition to the Government’s war policies; capable of putting hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets and represented in most cities and towns across the country.
Bring The Troops Home
SUNDAY 27 NOVEMBER
:THE ASTORIA:
Charing Cross Road, London
Doors open: 7 PM
Tickets: £20, from
See Tickets: 0870 0603 777
Stargreen 020 7734 8932
Ticketweb 0870 0600 100
Firstcall 0870 906 3838
Ticketline 0161 832 111
www.seetickets.com, www.ticketweb.co.uk, www.ticketline.co.uk, www.lastminute.com, www.meanfiddler.com,
(or without extra charge at Astoria or Jazz Cafe Camden - cash only.)
{Stop the War Coalition}
November/18/2005
Nitin Sawhney with Max and Marina from Ojos de Brujo!
Koko, London HEADLINE show announced!
Nitin Sawhney will be performing live with full band and special guests Max and Marina from Ojos d