New York-based pianist, Sharik Hasan is all set to jazz it up in Bengaluru

Although the ivory keys were in his system for a long time, the “freedom, spontaneity, infectious rhythms and raw expressive power of the blues” is something that he picked up at the Oberlin College in the US. “There was an undeniable sense of being ‘in the moment’ that compels listener and performer alike to partake in a shared, unique experience,” explains the youngster who has even shared the stage with luminaries like 10-Grammy Award winner Wayne Shorter, Joe Lovano, Terri Lyne Carrington amongst others.

Drawing from of pop, gospel, funk, R&B, Hindustani and Carnatic, over the years Sharik’s sounds have now become more experimental, enriched by flavours of both, the East and the West. “I like to create music that is accessible to any listener and has the ability to create a mood or evoke a feeling much like a movie soundtrack might,” says the musician who has been deeply influenced by everyone from Bill Evans to younger musicians like Tigran Hamasyan and Aaron Parks.

Having been educated in the crème de la crème alma maters of the world – Royal School of Music in London by age 16, Oberlin College and Conservatory in USA, Bill Evans Piano Academy in Paris and recently, the Manhattan School of Music in New York, Sharik believes that it is these music schools that provided him a framework to interact with like-minded musicians. “It also gave me access to great teachers and mentors. Although, there is certainly a lot to gain from a formal education in music, there are some things you can only get from actual experience,” he says, reiterating that many of the greats didn’t go to music school and learnt via osmosis from those more experienced or picked it up ‘on the bandstand’.

Sharik may have performed at venues all over the world including the Blue Note in New York, Panama Jazz Festival, Kriol Jazz Festival in Cape Verde, Nancy Jazz Festival in France, and at the Lincoln Center in New York, but he candidly admits that he refused to sing in music class throughout elementary and middle school. “I also played the lead role in a movie called Run that a friend and I made in college,” he grins, even working in the field of exoplanet discovery in 2004 under astronomer Prof. Dimitar Sasselov at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Now working on a possible album while playing in different formats, the young pianist also spares some time for another black and white passion of his – chess.