The world premiere of Tandon’s Shivoham — The Quest will be held at the iconic venue in the nation’s capital.
Indian American businesswoman, philanthropist and Grammy-nominated artist Chandrika Tandon will perform at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, next month.
The world premiere of her fourth album, Shivoham — The Quest, will be held at the Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Hall on November 22.
The musical piece is described by the artist as a musical expression of her 20-year search for the light.
“It’s a musical expression of my journey towards the light,” Tandon says in an introductory video. “It is everyone’s journey. We are all looking for that light. We call it love, we call it peace, we call it happiness. We call it success. We are searching for something beyond, and that state of beyond is what I call Shivoham.”
The 90-minute-long Shivoham, comprising three movements and 12 songs, will also feature world-class instrumentalists and choirs.
Shivoham weaves together a universal harmony of ancient Sanskrit mantras and English prayers, along with Western modes, Indian ragas, African and Spanish-styles, jazz, Gregorian chants, and personal stories. The amalgamation of so many different genres and schools of music makes Shivoham truly unique in its form and rendition.
The Kennedy Center describes the performance on its website as “a musical journey to transcendence, one that radiates peace, love, and blessings for the planet.”
Prior to Shivoham, Tandon has released three albums. Her debut album Soul Call (2009), released under the banner of her label Soul Chants Music, earned a Grammy nomination in the contemporary world music category.
Her second and third albums, Soul March and Soul Mantra, released in 2013 and 2014, respectively, also received critical acclamation.
Tandon, chairperson of Tandon Capital Associates, is no stranger to the world of arts. She is a member of the board of directors of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and a member of the Berklee Presidential Advisory Council of the Berklee College of Music.
Tandon, sister of former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and Madras Christian College.
She was born in Chennai, in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Tandon is the first Indian American woman to be elected partner of McKinsey & Company.
Tandon is also one of the best-known Indian American philanthropists. In 2015, she and her husband, Ranjan, donated $100 million to New York University’s School of Engineering. The school is now known as NYU Tandon School of Engineering.
Watch the introductory video: