LIVE at Piedmont Piano Company
Mira T. Sundara Rajan
Finding Jazz in the Classics: Improvisation, Harmony, Spirituality
In this classical piano recital, Mira T. Sundara Rajan will introduce and play works that showcase the rich tradition of classical piano music while bridging the distance between classical and jazz. Bach, Brahms, Scriabin, and Ginastera will be featured, and no previous knowledge of classical music (or jazz) is required. Come and enjoy music that is timeless and forever new, performed by Mira on one of the Bay Area’s truly exquisite concert grand pianos.
FREE Admission, $25 suggested donation
We are offering a limited number of seats for this performance. Advance reservation is required for entry. Masking is optional.
MIRA T. SUNDARA RAJAN
Dr. Mira T. Sundara Rajan (DPhil Oxon.) is a fourth-generation musician and writer who has performed and spoken around the world. Her music has been described by Indian journalist and music critic Deepa Alexander as “much better than …perfect.”
A Canadian pianist, Mira has trained with leading teachers and artists in Canada and the UK, including Wolfram Linnebach, Raymond Fisher (Royal College of Music and Oxford University), Jane Coop (UBC), Jacinthe Couture (Université de Montréal), and Marc Durand. She has also been a student at the Conservatoire supérieur de Paris (CNR).
Mira has a deep connection with India. She is a great-granddaughter of Indian National Poet, Mahakavi C. Subramania Bharati (1882-1921), who was both a poet and composer. Mira has studied and performed Bharati’s songs with her mother, Bharati’s granddaughter, a classically trained singer and expert on Bharati’s poetry.
In addition to her artistic pursuits, Mira is a distinguished scholar and advocate for artists’ rights. She holds a DPhil in Law from Oxford University, and her advocacy has helped to shape the law protecting the rights of musicians, artists, and authors around the world.
Mira is currently working on her “Scriabin Project” with the help of virtuoso pianist Marc-André Hamelin. Dedicated to the music of Alexander Scriabin (1871-1915), her project explores the composer’s involvement with Indian culture, his passion for poetry, and his surprising links with Canada.
Mira’s podcast, called “Woman of Culture”, features three episodes on Scriabin: “The Ecstatic Sound World of Alexander Scriabin,” with scholar and pianist Simon Nicholls, and “Falling in Love with Scriabin” and “Scriabin’s Fascinating Canadian Connection,” with Marc-André Hamelin.
In the Spring of 2025, Mira was Artist in Residence at the Orford Arts Center in Québec, Canada.
Mira’s most recent books are about creativity and AI, and C. Subramania Bharati’s poetry.