Keshav Batish starts our first live concert since COVID with a performance of a rāg form on sitar, with his father Pandit Ashwin Batish. Michael Masru Flora, a recent arrival to Santa Cruz who has been an active sound artist and computer musician for many years, performs for the first time in Santa Cruz. Finally, Batish and saxophonist Zoh Amba perform a duo.

Keshav Batish

Keshav Batish is a music-maker who straddles multiple identities, weaving each strand into a personalized tapestry. He is a multi-instrumentalist inspired by Hindustani, European Art, and Creative musical forms. Keshav completed a Masters in Composition at UC Santa Cruz in June 2021 and is planning on joining the creative music scene in New York this coming September.

First set: I will present a rāg form on sitar following the models of alāp expansion and gat/bandish composition, the latter involving tablā accompaniment by my father, Pandit Ashwin Batish.

Second set: I will present a spontaneously created piece on drum set along with dear friend Zoh Amba on tenor saxophone.

Zoh Amba

Zoh Amba is a saxophonist and composer from Tennessee. While growing up in the mountains, Amba played in the forest and emerged into the sound world. After moving to San Francisco in 2018, she spent two years at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she played at venues such as the Black Cat and SFJAZZ. Outside of school, she studied under saxophonist Hafez Modirzadeh.

Amba has performed and recorded with William Parker and Francisco Mela. She currently attends the New England Conservatory of Music and is mentored by David Murray.

Michael Masaru Flora

Michael Masaru Flora is an artist working with sound in a variety of contexts. His works are informed by architecture, generative systems, perceptual psychology, visual art, and computer music and range from large scale multimedia installations to recording, and performance.

His work has been presented in School of Design Nanjing University of Arts (China), Shanxi University School of Fine Arts (China), Stanford University’s Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA), Luggage Store Gallery (San Francisco), Orange County Center for Contemporary Art (CA), St Cloud State University (MN), Alfred University (NY) as well as clubs, galleries, theaters, warehouses, universities, and DIY spaces internationally.