Melbourne Veena Festival: Our Journey – Iyer Brothers // Live at Melbourne Recital Centre

Celebrating 50 years of playing the veena together.

The veena is one of the most ancient string instruments of India and plays an important role in Hindustani classical music and Carnatic classical music.

In 2023, the Iyer Brothers celebrate 50 years of playing the veena and have assembled an impressive instrumental ensemble of veena players to share personal musical stories of their journey – from their formative learning years in India to establish their teaching and musical careers in Melbourne.

The music for veena will be played in the traditional South Indian Carnatic style, accompanied by the mridangam, a South Indian two-headed drum, and chosen especially from the Iyer Brothers’ own repertoire that has been refined across their 50-year career.

The concert will also feature voices of the brothers’ young Australian students who have taken on the challenge of learning the veena as part of their musical studies and discoveries.

Praise for the Iyer Brothers

‘What is so interesting about the music is the communication between the brothers, something that seems only possible between twins. They seem to follow each other’s thoughts in a way only dreamed of in other collaborations.’ – Australian Institute of Eastern Music

This special performance is part of the annual Melbourne Veena Festival in partnership with The Boite.