Jasdeep Singh Degun

Jasdeep Singh Degun is a multi-award-winning sitarist, composer, arranger and improviser, renowned for his skill and creativity. As well as being a consummate soloist and collaborative artist, the Leeds-born virtuoso is reshaping the musical landscape with his ability to blend Indian classical music with contemporary influences.

He is Artist-in-Residence at the Barbican Centre for this season, which includes a recital at the Darbar Festival, the world premiere of his new sitar concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Kirill Karabits and a concert performance of his acclaimed opera Orpheus with Opera North. The latter is also part of a UK-wide tour of the production. Other season highlights include a chamber project with musicians from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and recitals at Wigmore Hall, Djangoly Hall Nottingham, Cambridge Music Festival and St John’s College, Oxford.

Recent engagements include debuts with Tampere Philharmonic and Chineke! Orchestra, as well as performances with Geneva Camerata, Fantasia Orchestra, Scottish Ensemble, all featuring his own compositions for sitar and orchestra. Other highlights include two BBC commissions: a work for the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and a new composition for the BBC Concert Orchestra. In recital he has performed at leading venues such as Kings Place, Southbank Centre, Upstairs at Ronnie Scott’s, Westminster Abbey, WOMAD Festival and Nottingham’s Royal Hall.

Jasdeep Singh Degun composed and conducted the world premiere performances of Orpheus, as Artist-in-Residence at Opera North in 2022, earning him critical acclaim and multiple accolades, including the Critics’ Circle Outstanding Achievement in Opera Award and Best Stage Production at the Asian Media Awards. In 2023 he was recognised with the Asian Achievers’ Art and Culture Award and Best Newcomer at the Songlines Awards. In 2024 he became the first sitar player and British Asian musician to win the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Instrumentalist Award.

Under the guidance of Ustad Dharambir Singh, Degun honed his skills in gayaki ang, a lyrical style of sitar playing that emulates the human voice. His debut album Anomaly, recorded with Nitin Sawhney and released in 2022, showcases his ability to place the sitar in modern contexts while honouring its classical roots. Last year he released his second album, Jogkauns, his first purely Indian classical album, recorded with tabla player Harkiret Bahra.

Whether performing on the operatic stage, in the studio, or on concert platforms worldwide, Jasdeep Singh Degun’s work continues to push the boundaries of musical form, showcasing a continued commitment to ground-breaking work across a range of musical landscapes.

Cyfansoddwr/Sitar

Mae Jasdeep Singh Degun yn chwareawr sitar, cyfansoddwr, trefnydd a pherfformiwr byrfyfyr arobryn, sy’n enwog am ei sgiliau a’i greadigrwydd. Ac yntau’n unawdydd penigamp ac yn artist cydweithredol, mae’r meistr cerddorol hwn a aned yn Leeds yn ail-lunio’r dirwedd gerddorol gyda’i allu i gyfuno cerddoriaeth glasurol Indiaidd â dylanwadau cyfoes.

Mae’n Artist Preswyl yng Nghanolfan y Barbican y tymor hwn. Yng Ngŵyl Darbar, bydd yn cyflwyno premiere byd o’i goncerto newydd i’r sitar gyda Symffoni’r BBC a Kirill Karabits, yn ogystal â pherfformiad cyngerdd o’i opera enwog Orpheus gydag Opera North. Mae’r perfformiad o’r opera yn rhan o daith ledled y DU. Uchafbwyntiau eraill y tymor fydd prosiect siambr gyda cherddorion o Gerddorfa Symffoni Dinas Birmingham a datganiadau yn Neuadd Wigmore, Neuadd Djangoly Nottingham, Gŵyl Gerddoriaeth Caergrawnt a Choleg St John’s, Rhydychen.

Yn ddiweddar, mae wedi perfformio am y tro cyntaf gyda Cherddorfa Ffilharmonig Tampere a Cherddorfa Chineke!, yn ogystal â pherfformiadau gyda Geneva Camerata, Cerddorfa Fantasia, Ensemble yr Alban. Roedd pob un o’r ymddangosiadau hyn yn cynnwys perfformio ei gyfansoddiadau ei hun ar gyfer sitar a cherddorfa. Mae hefyd wedi cael dau gomisiwn gan y BBC: gwaith ar gyfer Cerddorfa Ffilharmonig y BBC a chyfansoddiad newydd ar gyfer Cerddorfa Gyngerdd y BBC. Mae hefyd wedi cael y pleser o berfformio mewn neuaddau enwog fel Kings Place, Canolfan y Southbank, Upstairs at Ronnie Scott’s, Abaty Westminster, Gŵyl WOMAD a Neuadd Frenhinol Nottingham.

Jasdeep Singh Degun oedd wedi cyfansoddi ac arwain y perfformiadau cyntaf erioed o Orpheus ac yntau’n Artist Preswyl gydag Opera North yn 2022. O ganlyniad, cafodd glod arbennig ac anrhydeddau niferus, gan gynnwys Gwobr Cyflawniad Eithriadol mewn Opera y Critics’ Circle a’r Cynhyrchiad Llwyfan Gorau yng Ngwobrau Cyfryngau Asia. Yn 2023, enillodd Wobr Celf a Diwylliant yr Asian Achievers a’r Newydd-ddyfodiad Gorau yng Ngwobrau Songlines. Yn 2024, ef oedd y chwaraewr sitar a’r cerddor Asiaidd Prydeinig cyntaf i ennill Gwobr Offerynnwr y Gymdeithas Ffilharmonig Frenhinol.

Dan law Ustad Dharambir Singh, mireiniodd Degun ei sgiliau mewn gayaki ang, sef arddull delynegol o chwarae sitar sy’n efelychu’r llais dynol. Mae ei albwm cyntaf Anomaly, a recordiwyd gyda Nitin Sawhney ac a ryddhawyd yn 2022, yn arddangos ei ddawn o roi’r sitar mewn cyd-destunau modern gan anrhydeddu gwreiddiau clasurol yr offeryn ar yr un pryd. Y llynedd rhyddhaodd ei ail albwm a’i albwm clasurol Indiaidd cyntaf, Jogkauns, wedi’i recordio gyda’r chwaraewr tabla Harkiret Bahra.

Wrth berfformio ar y llwyfan operatig, yn y stiwdio, neu mewn neuaddau cyngerdd ym mhedwar ban byd, mae gwaith Jasdeep Singh Degun yn parhau i wthio ffiniau’r ffurf gerddorol, gan arddangos ymrwymiad parhaus i waith arloesol ar draws amrywiaeth o dirweddau cerddorol.