Thirteen-year-old master Adit Ravi not only enthralled the audience with a flute recital at the ongoing Saptak Music Festival in Ahmedabad on Saturday, but also gave indications of the arrival of a new maestro in the Indian classical music arena.

Adit began his performance with a rendering of an inherently melodious evening raag Yaman. He first played the vilambit gat (a slow paced composition) unfolding the form of the raag by pausing at appropriate notes. In this alap, his control over breathing, which is indispensable for maintaining the surilapan (playing the notes correctly), was remarkable. After the alap, a composition in Madhya laya was followed by drut laya. In these sections, he played some melodious taans with commendable clarity of sound.

The Yaman recital was followed by raag Pilu, which is predominantly a thumri raag and Adit astutely demonstrated his grasp on this form of classical music.

Talking to Newsline after his recital, Adit said he started learning at the age of six from a guru residing in Delhi through Internet. Adit, whose mother is trained in Carnatic vocal and father is a 'good listener' of music, showed maturity not only in his music, but otherwise also when he said he had not yet decided to take flute as a career. "It is one of the options, but right now, I play it because I enjoy it. I do not know what will happen tomorrow," he said.

Adit's recital was followed by an instrumental ensemble performed by 15 students of the Saptak School of Music. Under the leadership of one of the senior students of sitar of the school Ms Pratima Anandjiwala and guidance of Guru Manju Mehta, the group presented a short, but very melodious composition in raag Yaman Kalyan, with Sapan Anjaria on tabla.

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