Sanjay Mishra (musician)

Sanjay Mishra is an Indian American musician who began performing after completing his studies at the Peabody Conservatory of Music. Mishra plays with an eclecticism well suited to his multicultural background combining both Eastern and Western influences. He has been quoted saying, "I come from a tradition that has a lot of improvisation. Sometimes Western classical music can seem a little rigid, I had to find some middle ground."[1] He plays a nylon string MIDI classical electric guitar. He uses various looping devices and MIDI instruments to create a lush sound.

Sanjay Mishra
Background information
BornCalcutta, India
Genresjam, fusion, classical, contemporary chamber music
Occupation(s)musician
Instrumentsguitar
Years active1985–present
LabelsAkar Music, City Hall Records

Education

He graduated from the Peabody Conservatory of Music, Johns Hopkins University in 1987.

Early career

Mishra first came to public acclaim for his album Blue Incantation with guitarist Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead. It is one of Garcia's last works. Tributes to Garcia's work occur in Mishra's concerts.[2]

Present and future

His album Chateau Benares (October 2006) with guest appearances by DJ Logic and Keller Williams, among others, was received with rave reviews on National Public Radio and in The Washington Post.

He has also composed music for films. His score for the French film Port Djema was presented The Lifetime Vision Award at the Hamptons Film Festival in New York and described as "hauntingly beautiful".[3] The film won The Golden Bear at The Berlin Film Festival in 1996.

Mishra primarily records on Akar Music, distributed by City Hall Records in San Rafael, CA. His music has also been released on PolyGram, Philips, EMI Records, Mercury, Ryko, Putumayo, Melodia and other labels. He is author of Guitar Atlas: India, published by Alfred enhanced by Sanjay's "intimate knowledge of the relationship between Indian music and the guitar".[4]

He is currently Head of the Music Recording Technology Program[5] at Northern Virginia Community College in the Washington D.C. area.

Discography

Albums

Compilations
  • Music From the Tea Lands (2000) Putumayo World
  • Deep Orient, Vol. 2 (2001) Melodia (France)
  • Indian Spirit – 3 (2009) EMI Records

Guest appearances

Publishing
  • Guitar Atlas: India published by Alfred Publishing

References
  1. Jenkins, Mark (5 May 1995). "I had to find some middle ground". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011.
  2. From Sanjay Mishra, A World of Guitar Archived 2009-06-01 at the Wayback Machine, The Washington Post, by L. Peat O'Neil, June 8, 1998.
  3. Stratton, David (2 March 1997). "Port Djema Soundtrack, Hauntingly beautiful". Variety.
  4. Seabrook, Andrea (19 November 2006). "Intimate knowledge of the relationship between Indian music and the guitar". National Public Radio.
  5. "Music Technology Recording Program". Northern Virginia Community College. Northern Virginia Community College. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
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