Santosh Baynes, a pianist and organist from Bangalore, has established himself as a flexible musician and educator, leaving a big mark on town’s vibrant choral and ensemble scene. As a performer, composer, and IndianRaga fellow, he has seamlessly blended Western and Indian music traditions, collaborating with artists like Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej and Mahesh Raghavan. Past his performances with a few of Bangalore’s main choirs, Santosh’s ardour for nurturing expertise is obvious via his piano studio, The Fingersmith’s Storage, and his group youth ensemble, The Fingersmith Collective. This ensemble has grow to be a fixture in Bangalore’s music festivals, incomes accolades for its revolutionary performances.
In 2024, Santosh’s expertise and dedication have been additional acknowledged when he was chosen as one in all eight composers from throughout Asia to take part in a prestigious composer mentoring programme developed by the Related Board of the Royal Colleges of Music (ABRSM). This initiative, aimed toward diversifying world music examination syllabuses, supplies rising composers from under-represented areas with the chance to create music for academic contexts. By way of this programme, Santosh continues to increase his compositional repertoire, contributing to the worldwide music panorama together with his distinctive model and imaginative and prescient.
On this interview, Santosh Baynes discusses his journey as a composer and educator, his involvement in world music initiatives just like the ABRSM mentoring program, and the way he continues to bridge Western and Indian musical traditions.
Serenade Crew: You’ve had the chance to collaborate with various ensembles and choirs in Bangalore. How has working with such a spread of musicians influenced your model and method to composition and efficiency?
Santosh Baynes: As a soloist, you might have full inventive freedom, with each notice reflecting your private interpretation. Nonetheless, as an accompanist, your focus shifts to aligning with the conductor’s imaginative and prescient. Over time, I’ve had the privilege of working with numerous conductors, every with a singular method. This expertise has deepened my understanding of music, particularly after I’ve been requested to emphasise particular notes throughout rehearsals or when coaching choirs. It has additionally formed my composition course of.
When composing for an ensemble, my expertise as an accompanist is invaluable. I perceive the group’s strengths and challenges—whether or not it’s weaving in a low E-flat for the bass part or crafting a cadence that lets the tenors shine. Collaborating with conductors like Jonas Olsson has additional refined my work, guaranteeing it absolutely leverages the vocalists’ abilities. In the meantime, conductors like Dr. Ashley Williams, who embrace improvisation, encourage me to include inventive components, like brass solos, into my preparations.
In the end, as a composer, you will need to launch your work and permit it to evolve within the arms of performers. A bit can tackle new meanings for every performer and listener, making it a shared creation.
ST: Are you able to share your expertise working with ABRSM and Rondo on the compositional duties for solo and ensemble briefs? How has this collaboration influenced your method to music composition?
SB: By way of this system, we had the privilege of working with esteemed composer mentors reminiscent of Alan Bullard, Sarah Watts, and Vivian Chua. Each-on-one session with them was profoundly enlightening. Listening to them play my compositions and specific real enjoyment—particularly throughout playful moments on the piano—was extremely rewarding.
Sarah would play every phrase, highlighting what stood out and assessing whether or not it wanted enchancment. Alan would play your entire piece, then focus on the way it felt, encouraging me to pay attention as an viewers member somewhat than because the composer. He usually stated, “There’s a couple of strategy to get from one notice to a different,” prompting me to discover what sounded greatest, make modifications, and repeat the method till we have been each happy. Vivian targeted on particular sections of my string preparations, providing insights on octave placements, hand positions, and notice conflicts for devices just like the viola and cello.
They often acknowledged the sound I used to be aiming for and gently recommended various approaches to realize it, making me really feel really understood as a musician. These interactions didn’t mould me right into a template however somewhat revealed a extra refined model of myself. This expertise was refreshingly completely different from many on-line programs, which emphasize emulating an professional. I’ve gained a wealth of recent methods to use to future compositions—insights which can be invaluable and enduring.
ST: Your involvement with IndianRaga introduced collectively Western and Indian musical traditions. What have been a few of the key challenges and rewards of mixing these two distinct musical worlds?
SB: The primary problem was beginning. When a mission was proposed with a specific raaga, thillana, or comparable factor, I needed to conduct intensive analysis to align with the crew’s imaginative and prescient, whereas they needed to grasp my perspective on incorporating non-chordal harmonies.
As soon as we overcame this preliminary hurdle, our collaboration flourished. In actual fact, it flourished so nicely that it led to a second problem: limitless prospects. As an alternative of specializing in the 2-3 tasks at hand, we eagerly explored further concepts, a few of which exceeded our expectations. Even after the fellowship ended, we continued to collaborate remotely, or in smaller groups, creating new concepts over the next years.
I’ve drawn from our collaborative concepts for different rewarding tasks, and each time I am concerned in a gig that includes Indian classical music, I do know I can at all times depend on insights from my buddies within the fellowship.
ST: The ABRSM’s Composer Mentoring Programme emphasizes writing for academic contexts. How has taking part on this program formed your understanding of composing for music training, and what challenges have you ever encountered?
SB: It’s usually simpler to complicate an concept than to simplify it. A lot of my earlier compositions have been crafted to showcase technical ability—excessive notes for higher voices, intricate arpeggios for the pianist, or fast percussive patterns for a solo violinist. This flamboyance is important when composing for efficiency. Nonetheless, writing for academic functions requires a special method. The problem lies in simplifying the concept whereas preserving its essence, guaranteeing that newbies can nonetheless be taught one thing priceless from it.
Over time, I’ve revisited my items to make them extra accessible for college kids, which entails not simply simplifying but additionally anticipating potential difficulties. Working with skilled composers like Alan Bullard and Sarah Watts supplied invaluable suggestions. They highlighted the place sure notes may grow to be bottlenecks or the place a well-crafted part may confuse a newbie. Their insights helped me make enhancements extra effectively than via a number of iterations with college students.
As an illustration, a personality piece I composed grew to become too prolonged as I attempted to good the story it advised. Sarah identified challenges newbies may face with extensive chords, and Alan confirmed me how sure dynamics may not sound correct, even when they have been technically attainable. After these revisions, the ultimate piece is now each concise and musically satisfying. With my composition for strings, Vivian recognized just a few notes that, whereas playable, may not move easily with the encompassing notes. These wanted some further refinement.
ST: Because the founding father of The Fingersmith Collective, what motivated you to create a group youth choir and ensemble, and the way do you see its function within the native music scene?
SB: A lot of my college students have been desperate to discover music past tutorial confines but lacked a platform to showcase their abilities. For younger musicians at grades 3-4, aged 10-15, alternatives have been restricted—they have been too superior for less complicated tunes, but not able to share the stage with extra skilled performers. I feared their ardour for music may fade with out the proper retailers, risking the lack of their hard-earned abilities.
To handle this, I shaped a choir the place they may carry out as a gaggle, sing in concord, and be accompanied by senior college students. This method not solely allowed them to use their musical data in a efficiency context but additionally instilled the self-discipline of standard group observe—a problem many bands face.
What started as The Fingersmith Collective with simply 7 or 8 members has blossomed into an ensemble of 80 performers, that includes a full choir, strings, brass, piano, and organ. Impressively, practically half the choir can sight-sing, together with some as younger as 10 years previous. Even our 6-year-olds confidently appropriate me throughout rehearsals.
Past taking part in metropolis choral festivals, we host an annual recital, usually that includes standard musicians from Bengaluru. Visitor artists like Introduction Brass, Hetrock, Grace Ensemble, and the St. John’s Church choir have joined us, offering college students with invaluable expertise in various collaborations and performing in a few of the metropolis’s greatest venues. We’re additionally lucky to have Furtados Music as a accomplice, enriching our performances with Yamaha and Steinway grand pianos.
ST: Are you able to speak concerning the mentorship facet of the ABRSM program? How has working with main academic composers and ABRSM workers impacted your improvement as a composer?
SB: ABRSM, in collaboration with Rondo, has piloted this mentoring program for rising composers primarily based in Southeast Asia. ABRSM is well-known globally, and Rondo has an enormous footprint in Southeast Asia. This was my first time working with them, and seeing the dimensions of their mission, RondoFest, and their clean method to logistics made me an enormous fan. Kenny and his crew—Tan Kai, Don, and Caeli—organized the fest, which featured workshops, concert events, and smaller performances. It was an ideal alternative to showcase our abilities, join with like-minded musicians, and increase our community.
As a composer, understanding the context of what I’m writing is essential, particularly in academic packages the place the coed is the central focus. The Composer’s Program launched us to the groups behind the scenes who contribute to this context.
ABRSM composer Amit Anand, additionally from Bengaluru and a earlier cohort member with a chunk within the ABRSM syllabus, shared his experiences with us, setting the tone for our work. We have been then launched to Bridget and Sonia Khan, their worldwide representatives.
Hazel Wieboldt, Teresa Manese, Natalie Harnett, and Ali Bowen-Davies from Syllabus and Music Growth shared insights into their day by day work. I used to be a bit envious listening to about how a lot new music they get to evaluation and play. Think about a job the place you continuously play new music with out worrying about stage fright or studio nerves—and receives a commission for it! This facet of the music trade could be good for musicians who really feel anxious about acting on stage however love enjoying at dwelling.
Mervyn Cousins and Zoe Sales space, two of the chief examiners, defined what makes a chunk helpful for evaluating a candidate’s efficiency. Their steering was extremely useful, even past the duties we have been assigned. Hilary and Rachel then launched us to further ABRSM assets accessible for music lecturers and college students—TeacherHub and Classroom200.
I’m particularly excited for our upcoming session with the Royal Philharmonic Society. The extent of element and trade publicity on this program has been invaluable.
ST: Having labored intently with Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej, how has that have influenced your individual musical journey? What have you ever taken away from these collaborations?
SB: Ricky has a transparent imaginative and prescient. Whether or not he is on stage or behind the glass within the studio, he is aware of precisely what he wants from every performer and each music. Many people musicians have had promising concepts that by no means absolutely materialized, actually because we introduced in too many different artists with out setting clear expectations, resulting in disappointing outcomes.
Working with Ricky on choral preparations for The Bangalore Males, I’ve seen firsthand how his readability of objective immediately boosts effectivity and ensures productive periods. Each performer brings their A-game, understanding how their work aligns with the larger image.
