Biography
Composer Michael Stirling began the study of North Indian classical vocal music (Khayal singing of the Kirana Gharana) with Pandit Pran Nath (Guruji) in 1983, subsequently traveled with him to India and became his disciple. After Pandit Pran Nath’s passing in 1996, Michael continued study and practice of this celestial art form with Guruji’s senior American student, the highly regarded composer and performer, Terry Riley.
Michael has accompanied Pandit Pran Nath and Mr. Riley in classes and concerts in America, at the Rothko Chapel in Houston, Texas and in India at the dhargha of Sufi Hazarat Inayat Khan in New Dehli and at Diggi Palace in Jaipur; in California and elsewhere. Michael has also studied and performed with sarangi virtuoso Ustad Hafizullah Khan, vocalists Sri Karunamayee, Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan, Lakshmi Shankar, the American bansuri artist Steve Gorn, tabla/esraj artist Benjy Wertheimer, Gurubhai tabla player/vocalist Rik Masterson, dhrupad vocalists Uday Balwalker, the Gundecha Brothers, kirtan artists Shantala (Benjy & Heather Wertheimer), Gina Sala, Snatam Kaur, Shanti Shivani and others.
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At the urging of his teacher, Michael offers instruction in North Indian classical vocal music to individual students and small groups in Portland, Oregon (he has taught at Marylhurst University, University of Portland, Community Music Center, First Unitarian Church, Amrita: A Santuary for Yoga, Yoga Shala of Portland, Beloved Festival, and other locations.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.