Lucian Kano Balmer is a Bay Area violinist, vocalist, and composer who performs original compositions often described as “raga-infused.” He’s performed extensively in the United States and Europe as a solo act as well as with large ensembles. He has studied with renowned North Indian Classical vocalist Shweta Jhaveri, and continues to study vocals and instrumental with Bruce Hamm, a senior disciple of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. He combines his Western Classical upbringing (under local violinist Ben Spilman) and love of chamber music along with the melodic and rhythmic ideas from North Indian Classical music to create new ideas using ancient musical languages.

Albums

Spruce Ritual

Release Date: February 10, 2023
Catalog Number: AR0019
21st Century
Chamber
Vocal Music
Cello
Viola
Voice
SPRUCE RITUAL from Bay Area violinist, vocalist, and composer Lucian Balmer is a heartfelt dance between western classical and North Indian classical music. While the album is centered around violin, viola, and cello—the string instrument family at the heart of Romantic era chamber music—Balmer seamlessly integrates the sounds of the sitar and the tabla, two pillars of Indian classical music. While the recordings do not contain lyrics, the human voice is also a prominent instrument on this album. This is thanks to the use of sargam, in which the notes of the composition are sung. The music of SPRUCE RITUAL is richly illustrative of Balmer’s own life experiences, ranging from devotion, love, loss, melancholy, and excitement.