Highlights and Info from the Past 40 Years or so…
Vicki Richards’ musical roots and extensive training are in traditional North Indian Raga, Classical European Music and Electric Fusion. Ms. Richards began her professional career in an orchestra while simultaneously playing electric avant-garde fusion.

She has performed in India, Carnegie Hall, and in concert with choreographers, dancers and eclectic ensembles. (Dale Andree and Mary Street Theater, Karen Peterson Dancers, New World School of the Arts, Sharron Rose Widner)

With the infusion of electronics on her custom built violin in the 1970s, Ms. Richards’s evolution began. She has made historic and unique musical contributions in performance and in recordings over the past 4 decades. Her electric influences began with collaboration with Jazz Vibist Jerry Gentry at Indiana University, Switzerland and Rhode Island at the base of College Hill.

Beginning at age 20 and for more than 10 years Ms. Richards played professionally with symphony orchestras in NYC, Rhode Island, Switzerland and Miami, FL.   This was simultaneous to her fusion and electric violin playing.

Julie Lyon Lieberman’s book “Improvising Violin” notes her development and contribution in the field of West East Fusion before music categories included Global, World and New Age Music.

In Miami, while attending University of Miami’s Frost School of Music with a full scholarship, her creative efforts included ground breaking work with Robert Thomas Jr, (Weather Report) Amit Chatterjee (Zawinul Syndicate) and Tim Richards. The ensemble was Amazone.

Her first solo recording included these and other artists (on 2 inch tape) and became “Parting the Waters” (remastered on CD. Version 2 was picked up by Coconut Grove Records.)

Vicki Richard’s Indian Raga program with tablist Tim Richards, Carnegie Recital Hall Debut was in 1983 (New York Times reviewed)

Ms Richards was the recipient of grants for Professional Development in India by the American Institute of Indian Studies (University of Chicago) and the Smithsonian Institution., 1979 & 1985. She toured to represent the USA in 1986 for Festival of India.

Curiosity about improvised music led her to North Indian Classical Musical studies in Banaras beginning in 1979. She was a disciple of Pt Amarnath Mishra and of violinist Padma Bushan Dr. N. Rajam and Pandit Sharda Sahai. She represented the USA in a concert tour during Festival of India 1986

Her lecture demonstrations, which included a musical translation of Indian Music to Western music faculty and students, spanned decades and included many university composition, string and percussion departments.

She was a member of the first Alternative Strings Section faculty at the ASTA National Conference and in subsequent years. She has presented at Julie Lieberman’s Strings Without Boundaries Summer Programs and Mark O’Connor’s String Conference.

Ms Richards and collaborator Jeff Deen (tabla and percussion) performed often at venues from concert stages, universities to ashrams, temples and health support centers. See and hear them on YouTube videos.

Other interesting, unique and riveting collaborative recordings and PERFORMANCES:

With Jorge Alfano spanning a number of recordings and many concerts for Ashrams and Retreat Centers (Alfa Music label)

With Layne Redmond, Vicki has recorded and performed over the decades, the last in Brazil. (Sounds True Label)

With Marty Quinn’s interactive installation at Tanglewood, for a NASA exhibit

Up on scaffolding during pre construction, on a chilly night at the Arscht Performing Arts Center, Miami (Gustavo Matamoros-electronic composer)

Mary Luft’s (Tigertail)Nervous City Orchestra, Miami

Judy Drucker’s Concert Association and American Ballet Theater, 1980s

TEACHERS: Ms. Richard’s violin teachers are many. They shaped her technical prowess, encouraged her musicality and provided support & knowledge of many things beyond measure:

Padma Bushan Dr. N Rajam (BHU), Henryk Kowalski. Martin Fisher (Brown U.), Thomas Moore (U of M), Sri Amarnath Mishra, Pandit Sharda Sahai, Babara Poularikas (R.I.C.)
Master classes with Joseph Gingold, Mischa Kuttner, M. Braun, David Darling

MUSICIANS:
Ms. Richards 5 Studio Recordings span from the late 1980s -2011.  Artists collaborating: Robert Thomas Jr, Amitava Chatterjee, Jeffrey Deen, Satoshi Takeishi, Frank Carmelitano, Tim Richards, Mitch Kopp, Jean Balduc, Sam Chiodo, Chernol Mathais and many more excellent musicians.

In her private studios she taught many children, teens and adults violin playing in the Suzuki and Traditional Classical Music for 25 years in the Miami area. Ms. Richards took great delight in instructing and encouraging young musicians to achieve their potential within the beauty of music.

NON PROFIT FOUNDATION: Ms. Richards, with Tim Richards, founded and led The Indian Music Foundation, a non-profit institution, bringing Indian Music Artists to NYC and Miami for decades. They ran workshops; seminars and concerts provided the communities with a rich infusion of this intricate and rarely heard World Music.

Vicki’s music is copyrighted, produced and distributed on Temple Street Music, Inc. She is a member of BMI. Music can be purchased on CD Baby or iTunes

Enjoy and Share the free Healing Guided Visualization and Music download on this site: ) Go to the Discography Tab and scroll down