Violinist, Trina Basu draws her inspiration from a wide and colorful pallet. From simple musical beginnings as a Suzuki student in her hometown of Miami, Fl, she now finds herself creating music both near and far. Born in Miami, FL, with roots in Kolkata, India and Montreal, Canada, Trina has always been exposed to multidimensional experiences, which continue to inspire and shape her musical voice.
Her love for Indian music began on family trips to India and listening to old records at home as a child, but her first mentor in this art form was Smt. Nalini Vinayak, sitarist, tabla player, composer and director of the Indian Music Ensemble at Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL. While Trina earned a degree in Music Therapy at FSU she was also an active performer in the Indian Music Ensemble as well as local orchestras and bands. Since then, she has continued to develop her skills in Indian classical music and in the fall of 2006 she was awarded an Artist Fellowship by the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, to study Carnatic Classical music in Chennai, India. She studies under Sri Vittal Ramamurthy and Smt Padma Shankar, both noted Carnatic violinists and disciples of Lalgudi Sri. G. Jayaraman.
In addition to her interest in traditional Indian music, she also takes her inspiration from the Jazz masters. She has achieved a great deal of personal development through studies with trumpeter Longineu Parsons, violinists Frederico Britos and John Blake Jr. among others.
Trina has performed in the United States, Canada, and India. In July 2007 she gave her first Carnatic Classical violin concert in Chennai at Raga Sudha Hall. Her own jazz group, Rhythm ‘N’ Strings performs in New York City and in 2006 had the honor of performing with special guests, Christian Howes and Rob Thomas, both veteran jazz violinists. Trina also plays with Langtry, a Florida based band led by Patrick McKinney. They recently recorded an album, When Joy Kills Sorrow.
Currently based in Brooklyn, NY, Trina teaches private and group violin lessons for all levels and ages. She believes that each student has the potential to learn and appreciate music, given both a nurturing and challenging environment. As a Music Therapist, she has worked with a variety of populations, including Geriatrics (Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Stroke), hospitalized children and hospice patients. Her experiences as a music therapist and teacher have been a source of beauty and inspiration, affecting her musical expression and perspective on life. With her interest in the musical traditions of India, Europe and the Americas, she hopes to continue carving her own unique musical niche within the constantly evolving musical traditions of the world.
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