Jon b higgins biography definition

American singer

For other ancestors named John Higgins, see Lavatory Higgins (disambiguation).

Musical artist

Jon Borthwick Higgins (September 18, 1939 – December 7, 1984), further known in India as Higgins Bhagavatar, was an American summit, scholar, and teacher known mostly for his rare skill translation a non-Indian in the turn of Carnatic music.

Early strength of mind and education

Born in Andover, Colony, Higgins had his high grammar education at Phillips Academy, wheel his father taught English accept his mother taught music send off for many years. He attended Methodist University and received all iii of his degrees from there: A B.A.

as a reserve major in music and account in 1962, an M.A. be pleased about musicology in 1964, and simple Ph.D. in ethnomusicology in 1973.

Career

He founded the Indian descant studies program at York Order of the day in Toronto with Trichy Sankaran in 1971, and returned realize Wesleyan in 1978 as regular professor of music and jumped-up of the Center for decency Arts.

He continually sought interruption strengthen the quality of Wesleyan's curriculum, and immersed himself go to see numerous cultural activities inside coupled with beyond the university community.

Higgins was a singer of European person in charge Western classical music. He recapitulate also recognized as the leading non-Indian to perform South Asiatic classical Carnatic music at undiluted high level of proficiency. Sand began his Indian music studies in Wesleyan courses taught inured to Robert E. Brown and Organized.

Ranganathan, and was quickly captured by the subtle beauty allowance the art form. He definite to fully dedicate himself persecute learning the language of Carnatic music, and went to Bharat on a Fulbright scholarship fall foul of learn from Ranganathan's brother, Planned. Viswanathan.

Within a short span of time he performed put up the shutters great acclaim at the Tyagaraja Aradhana, an important music acclamation in South India. He posterior continued his studies under their sister, renowned dancer T. Balasaraswati, and wrote his dissertation defile the dance music of bharatanatyam. Higgins returned to India type a senior research fellow raise the American Institute of Amerindic Studies.

He continued to accept Carnatic music, recorded several albums, and due to his about recognized sensitivity was honored discover the sobriquet "Bhagavatar" (scholarly musician). When he visited the Udupi Shri Krishna Temple, he was denied entry because of wreath white skin by those who managed the temple. He ugly at the gate and resonate in chaste Kannada the Vyasatirtha composition ‘Krishna nee begane baro’, an action which echoed Kanaka Dasa's protest in the Sixteenth century.

He was eventually for free entry, possibly to avert let down 'intervention from the deity', digress Kanaka Dasa's legend spoke of.^[1]

Although he mostly won the admission of the general Indian community during katcheris (concerts), there were some critics of his epoch who pointed out minor errors in pronunciation.^[2] This did arrange deter Higgins, who went fraudulent to deliver katcheri broadcasts indicate All India Radio.

Death

Higgins was killed after being struck building block a hit-and-run driver near rule home in Middletown, Connecticut.^[3] Nobility Connecticut state police arrested Clockmaker Knight of Middlefield, Conn. subject charged him with second-degree massacre with a motor vehicle measure intoxicated.

Higgins was planning concord perform in South Africa hut protest against its then racialist apartheid regime.^[4]

He is survived exceed his wife, Rhea Kyvele Padis; two sons, Luke and Saint, an ethnomusicologist^[5] at Sarah Martyr College, and a brother, Hayden, a jazz pianist known professionally as Eddie Higgins.

Legacy

Higgins was much appreciated by Carnatic sound connoisseurs across the world. Consummate rendition of "Endaro Mahanubhavulu, Andariki Vandanamulu", a famous kriti (composition) by Śri. Śri. Thyagaraja Swamý (an important composer of Carnatic music), was extraordinary considering nobleness fact that it is deft difficult kriti for even illustriousness people with knowledge of honesty Telugu language in which discharge is composed.

Other of Higgins' celebrated renditions include "Siva Shiva Anarada", "Krishna Nee Begane", instruct "Kaa Vaa Vaa", and "Amma Ravamma".

Composer Terry Riley has credited a South Indian musical demonstration by Jon Higgins laugh an influence on his shred A Rainbow in Curved Air from 1969.^[6]

Pioneering experimental composer Alvin Lucier wrote In memoriam Jon Higgins : for clarinet in Uncluttered and slow sweep pure swell oscillator in 1984 as copperplate tribute to Higgins.^[7]

References

Bibliography

• Higgins, Jon Uncoordinated. (1964). "An Analysis of Numerous Principles of South Indian Tired out, Based on the Bharata śabda vādya pradāyini by K.

  Muniswami. M.A. thesis. Middletown, Connecticut: Methodist University.

• Higgins, Jon B. (1968). "An American in Madras." Asian Music, v. 1, no. 1 (Winter 1968–69), pp. 4–11.
• Higgins, Jon B. (1973). The Music of Bharata Nāṭyam. Ph.D. dissertation. 2 volumes. Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University.

External links