Not many residents or Case Western Reserve University students seem to realize how important a cultural hub the city of Cleveland is in the eyes of others. Even with centers for visual and performing arts like the Cleveland Museum of Art and The Cleveland Orchestra, some find that there is more to be desired of a municipality purportedly designated as a “global city.” But believe it or not, one of the largest classical music festivals in North America takes place in Cleveland every year, and for students at CWRU, it is only a bus ride away. Usually held annually through the Easter weekend, the Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival is frequented by accomplished artists and students from India and across North America.
The festival is named after Saint Tyagaraja, a veteran composer of South Indian classical, or Carnatic music. An established composer of over a thousand devotional compositions in the Telugu and Sanskrit languages, he is honored in his hometown and resting place of Thiruvaiyaru in Southern India through a week-long festival of music in the months of January and February. Although this is where the festival first took its influences, back in 1977, noted percussionist Ramnad Raghavan moved to Northeast Ohio, where he met a group of Indian immigrant families who had some level of training in music. With this discovery, he proposed starting a festival in the city of Cleveland modeled after the large festival back home. This began in the form of a three-act concert in the basement of a rented church in Richmond Heights. Today, the festival is a 12-day event held on Cleveland State University’s campus, jam-packed with concerts and unique showcases, plus upholds traditions reminiscent of the original festival.
One of these traditions is the group performance of the “pancharatnas,” which translates to “five gems” in Sanskrit. These songs are sung in praise of the Hindu deity Rama and are composed of multiple stanzas and set to different scales, which lend them a unique tone and further the intricacy of their lyrical structure. During the Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival, professional artists and students alike gather in CSU’s Wolstein Center arena to sing these timeless songs en masse in an event that pulls many audience members.
Third-year biomedical engineering student Maanyav Gangaraj is one of those audience members. “I have always enjoyed the Pancharatnam singing,” he said. “It has been a formative experience for me to see this group of stellar musicians join the stage to honor the great poet-composer.” The festival is a vital tradition to Gangaraj and his family. A student of the Carnatic violin and treasurer of CWRU’s classical music club Naadam, he has attended the festival ever since he began learning. “It additionally provides platforms for up-and-coming young artists to perform with the support of many senior artists,” he adds. “The competitions held at this festival provide opportunities for youth to receive valuable feedback from other artists.” Gangaraj refers to the T. Temple Tuttle Memorial Music Competition, an event at the festival that spans multiple categories and age groups. The competition is named after the late ethnomusicologist and CSU professor who had a vested interest in Carnatic music and its principles. Some category winners receive a performance slot at next year’s festival.
Overall, this year’s festival is certainly worth the visit, from the grand showcases to the scattered array of concerts to choose from, albeit with some slight scheduling issues. Certain concerts can have a delayed start on certain days, while running up to an hour behind schedule. Gangaraj had a similar experience when visiting this past weekend. On Saturday at 7:45 pm, the artist Dr. D. Raghavachary of the Hyderabad Brothers duo of singers was scheduled to perform. The scheduled artist’s brother, D. Seshachary, had passed away just last year before the festival, meaning to see the artist this was an especially important moment for Gangaraj and his family.
“My parents and I have always been huge fans of the Brothers, and we were very excited to listen to Dr. Raghavachary’s concert,” he said. “But the festival was running dreadfully late by over an hour, and Dr. D. Raghavachary had to be subbed out for another artist at the last minute due to illness. For this and the fact that the 1.5 hour concert was delayed to begin at almost 9:30 pm, we left Saturday unfortunately disappointed.”
But despite the delays, the festival was still a treat for Gangaraj, who still intends to visit the festival for the foreseeable future. “Overall, the experience was still very enjoyable, and I still felt the same joy and satisfaction from attending the festival. It was like visiting an old friend,” he said. And it is hard to disagree with this statement. The Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival has many interesting experiences in store for those who choose to stop by. For CWRU students, this is a golden opportunity to connect with the city in another meaningful way, whether it’s for those who long for a familiar sound or a new chance to explore and step outside their comfort zone.