Jerusalem borne Avital Raz is one of the few Western pioneers bringing the sacred traditions of Dhrupad, the most ancient style of Hindustani classical music, to the West. She brings a wealth of vocal, meditative, movement and experience to her classes and performances. She had the great fortune to be accepted as aparampara student of the premier family of the Dhrupad lineage, the Dagar family. Her teacher, Prof. Ritwik Sanyal was first disciple to the late rudra veena maestro Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar and his brother Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar. Their family has been passing on the Dhrupad tradition for nineteen generations.
She spent 6 years in India studying and practicing Yoga and Buddhism along with her Dhrupad studies. Her quest for healing and self-realization through music, began with an impressive career in Western classical singing and composition studies at The Rubin Academy for Music and Dance in Jerusalem. Today she lives in the UK and focuses primarily on using the various traditions she's learnt in creating her own original music.
She's been teaching singing for the last fifteen years. and Indian music since 2006. She's developed various exercises based on her knowledge of Western and Eastern techniques to help her students understand the profound connection between voice, breath and creativity.
Dhrupad occupies a very special place in her creative life, as it induces a deep contemplative state, thus connecting the performer as well as the listener with Divine Source.
She has been teaching internationally at conferences, in retreat centers, liberal arts colleges, schools and privately since 2006.
Avital has six albums to her name and is also a member of legendary Sheffield based world music band Rafiki Jazz.