Memories of a Shadow

Chris Votek • Memories of a Shadow

World Premiere Recordings

With Memories of a Shadow, Chris Votek makes a bold debut as both a traditionalist performing Hindustani raga on cello, and an innovative composer refracting Indian Classical music through the lens of modern chamber music.

“I returned to California with a new vision, my soul brimming with inspiration, and my mind a whirlwind of raga melody. I imagined an ancient past where the world was small and the sacred music of Medieval Europe and Ancient India intertwined. What would it sound like if the great Khyal singers experimented with counterpoint, or if choirs of the church conjured ragas in their daily practice? This visualization was the foundation of Memories of a Shadow, program music telling the story of this imagined society’s creation myth.” – Chris Votek

“Melodies imbued with mysticism and preciousness… Transcendent” — Overblog

 “Dreamy” — NPR

 “What impresses me most is Chris Votek’s amazing ability to grasp immediately and effortlessly the spirit of Indian music, its subtleties and finer nuances, verbatim” — Dr. N. Rajam

 “Mesmerizing Indian Vocal Ragas, the effect is beautiful” — Uncut