Atmic Vision
Annada (Butto) Prasanna Pattanaik, bansuri
Paul Erhard, double bass
Muthu Kumar, tabla

“Stunning in its virtuosity…. This is only the beginning of an even more profound capacity to touch audience members with a pureness of joy I no longer thought was possible.”
S. Vaughn, member for 20 years, Metropolitan Opera Chorus

“The music is great, so new, so fresh! The positive chemistry of the musicians creates an enthusiasm that draws the entire audience into the music.”
G. Arndt, recording engineer

“Some tracks (of Expanding Horizons CD) have an upbeat, dancing feel while others send you off into a space of transient, imagery-filled peacefulness.” Colorado Daily

Atmic Vision is an Indian Music trio with bansuri (Indian bamboo flute), double bass, and tabla. The two Indian musicians, flutist Butto Pattanaik and tabla player Muthu Kumar, are two of India’s best. Formed in 2004 by CU double bass professor Paul Erhard, Atmic Vision plays instrumental renditions of raga-based bhajan songs of India. Its innovative multicultural blending of Eastern & Western influences creates music of profound peace, purity and rhythmic vitality. Of Expanding Horizons the Colorado Daily writes, “Some tracks have an upbeat, dancing feel while others send you off into a space of transient, imagery-filled peacefulness.”

Annada (Butto) Prasanna Pattanaik is one of India’s foremost North Indian classical Bansuri (bamboo flute) virtuosos. He performs as a soloist throughout India, has toured Europe many times, and is the most highly sought after flutist in the film recording industry in Southern India. His enchanting flute playing enriches over 1000 film songs. In addition, he has made numerous recordings, including Inner Vision, Deep Sky, Igneous, and India songs. Born into a musical family in Kiriburu, Orissa, Mr. Pattanaik showed remarkable musical ability from a very early age. At age 4, he played the flute for the first time, and immediately demonstrated a surprising understanding of rhythm and raga. He was primarily self-taught until the age of 17, experimenting with expanding the range and perfecting the tone production technique for the instrument. Later he received professional training from Mr. M.M.Patnaik and the great Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. He earned his music degree (with highest honors) from Pracheen Kala Kendra in Chandigarh, India. Mr. Pattanaik has been a featured soloist many times in world cultural conferences in Europe and Asia. His many honors include being selected as a permanent member of the International School of Theatre Anthropology in Denmark.

Dr. Paul Erhard is the double bass professor at the University of Colorado College of Music (http://amazingbass.colorado.edu). He performs and teaches extensively throughout USA and Europe, and is well known in classical music circles. Paul performs solo recitals and teaches masterclasses in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He has been on the jury of international double bass competitions in Brazil, Czech Republic, Hungary, and the prestigious Johann Matthias Sperger Competition in Germany. Paul is the founder and director of the Rocky Mountain String Bass Festival which over its nine years has brought to Colorado many of the world’s leading double bass soloists and pedagogues. Principal double bassist of the Boulder Bach Festival, he was principal bass of the Soviet Émigré Orchestra and the Albany Symphony in New York before joining CU in 1986. Paul also has extensive jazz experience, and recently teamed up with CU jazz saxophone professor John Gunther. Inspired by the beauty and expressive quality of Indian music, Paul has pioneered adapting the voice of the double bass to Indian music to expand solo performance opportunities for the instrument. He combines the rich singing tone of classical bowed bass and the rhythmic energy of jazz bass to create a new sound in Indian music. He has made numerous research trips to India, including a Senior Fellowship from the American Institute of Indian Studies in 2002. He will be giving a presentation on his Indian music playing at the bi-annual International Society of Bassists Convention in June 2007. Paul holds Masters and Doctoral degrees from The Juilliard School as a student of Homer Mensch, and a Bachelors degree from Eastman School of Music as a student of James VanDemark. He is the winner of the 1984 Juilliard Double Bass Solo Competition.

Muthu Kumar has been playing tabla since age five. Muthu performs and records extensively in India and abroad, and has accompanied many leading vocalists. His eagerness to explore has enabled him to perform in a wide variety of musical settings. He has performed on over 70 Bhajan, Ghazal, Indian Classical and Contemporary music recordings, and is heard on numerous Indian film recordings (Kannada and Tamil). During his 12-month tour of the USA in 2002-03, he performed and recorded such diverse music as Indian, Jazz, Gospel, and Hip-Hop. Influences from this tour inspired him to compose the music for his solo CD, Tabla Rap. Muthu studied in Bombay with the tabla legend Ustad Alla Rakha. He received his advanced tabla training from the great tabla virtuoso Ustad Zakir Hussain and Pandit Yogesh Samsi. Muthu founded Singing Drums a school for tabla in Bangalore, India (www.singingddrums.com).