Meena Bhasin
violist, SAN FRANCISCO, NYC & BEYOND
Artist Statement
Music is a powerful force. Transmuting energy through sound waves that carry the emotional charge of a moment in time. Music is the warm blanket in my grief, the immaterial sword in my anger, the propeller in my joy, the piercing voice of my fear.
Music creates the safety I need to feel all the way into and through the depths of my emotions, bringing pleasure even to the most uncomfortable sensations that need to move through my body.
When I play, I am steeped in a physical connection with my body, moving with the sensations of touch that create the splendor of sound. Music is the vessel through which my inner most emotions are given a safe space to be fully felt and then released, leaving the imprint of their wisdom in their wake. I’m here to shine a light on all of the ways in which pleasure is available to us when we surrender to our deepest emotions, moving in and through.
My Story
When my soul met my body, a seed was planted. That seed took form as a deeply feeling, open-hearted, compassionate, unfiltered, rebellious being with a passion for connection and collaboration.
I started playing the violin when I was four years old; traveled to Japan to perform at age six; performed at the United Nations at age nine; and concertized in numerous musical exchanges, including Israel and China, all before I left for college. My passion for cross-cultural dialogue was lit and so was my voice as a musician who would use my gifts as a tool to open hearts and minds for the rest of my life.
I went on to study international relations & music simultaneously at Tufts University and the New England Conservatory of Music where I was part of the first student delegation to visit Iran since the revolution in 1979.
Later I found a perfect playground to merge activism and music in a fellowship program at Carnegie Hall and the Juilliard School - Ensemble Connect - allowing me to dream and experiment with the social impact of music, and how it can be wielded to shape our humanity.
After that, I co-founded Decoda - the affiliate ensemble of Carnegie Hall - a group whose mission is to create a more compassionate and connected world through music, with an equal focus on performance and social impact. Some of my most meaningful experiences have happened off the big stages, collaborating with an incarcerated lifer to compose a motivational anthem, or co-creating a lullaby with an expecting mother expressing her hopes and dreams for her child.
Throughout these past four decades, I have been fortunate enough to weave my soul’s work into all that I do, traveling the world and collaborating with artists across many genres and walks of life.
Highlights have included a performance at Obama’s White House showcasing Decoda’s work in criminal justice reform; and creating a US state department exchange to India, bringing a diverse group of artists together for performances and discussions on how the arts can best serve our communities. In the early days of COVID, I launched the Lullaby Project in collaboration with Homeless Prenatal Program in San Francisco, which pairs expecting mothers with professional artists to compose and record original lullabies for their newborns. This created a safe space and community for vulnerable people during one of the darkest and most isolating times in our recent history.
Today, I lead a life that weaves together musical expression with sensual embodiment, rooted in a desire to birth a new world order.
I am a mother of two adorable kids, an artistic director (along with life partner) of Noe Music, a boutique concert series in San Francisco, and a member of New York City’s Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center in the summertime. I can’t wait to see what synchronicities unfold from here.
some highlights
Brave with Jackie Gage
A beautiful collaboration with dear friend and sensational singer / songwriter, Jackie Gage about the relationship between mother and daughter.
MOZART Sinfonia Concertante
For me, this is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written by Mozart. It was a thrill to get to play it with my husband, Owen Dalby and the Stanford Philharmonia. Here are some clips from our performance at Bing Concert Hall at Stanford University.
Gumboots from Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect
I love collaborative music-making. This is a moving work by composer David Bruce who was inspired by Gumboot dancing - forged from the brutal conditions for black miners in Apartheid South Africa. The dance and this music are great examples of art as an act of revolutionary love.