Mohindar Brar Sambhi Endowed Chair in Indian Music role granted to Anna Morcom
The Department of Ethnomusicology at UCLA's Herb Alpert School of Music is set to welcome a new holder of the Mohindar Brar Sambhi Endowed Chair in Indian Music. Anna Morcom, a renowned ethnomusicologist specializing in Indian and Tibetan musical cultures, has accepted the offer to assume this prestigious position.
Currently serving as Professor of Ethnomusicology at Royal Holloway, University of London, Morcom's impressive contributions to the field have earned her recognition both in academia and beyond. Her extensive research on the musical traditions and performing arts of Tibet is highly regarded in the context of Tibetan performing arts scholarship.
Morcom's scholarly achievements are not limited to Tibet. She has also made significant strides in understanding Indian musical cultures, as evidenced by her influential studies and publications. Her most recent book, Illicit Words of Indian Dance: Cultures of Exclusion, has won acclaim, winning both the Merriam Prize of the Society for Ethnomusicology and the Marcia Herndon Prize of the Gender and Sexualities section of the same society. This monograph explores themes of gender and sexuality in the context of Indian dance, offering a fresh perspective on these cultures.
As a parting event, the current holder of the Sambhi Chair, Daniel Neuman, is sponsoring a concert to celebrate the life and legend of Ustad Sabri Khan, a pioneer in the sarangi, an Indian string instrument. The concert, which is free of charge, will take place on Saturday, April 28, at 8pm in Schoenberg Hall. This event marks Neuman's retirement at the end of the current academic year.
Morcom's tenure as the Sambhi Chair is expected to support the performance, study, and teaching of the music of India in the Department of Ethnomusicology at UCLA, continuing the rich legacy established by Neuman. Under her leadership, the department is poised to delve deeper into the intricacies of Indian and Tibetan musical cultures, contributing to a broader understanding of these vibrant traditions.
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- Anna Morcom's tenure as the Mohindar Brar Sambhi Endowed Chair in Indian Music at UCLA's Herb Alpert School of Music is anticipated to foster not only the performance and teaching of Indian music, but also contribute to her ongoing education-and-self-development in Indian and Tibetan musical cultures.
- While her scholarly focus on Tibetan performing arts and gender and sexuality in Indian dance through her works like Illicit Words of Indian Dance has gained her recognition, Morcom's interests extend beyond that, as she also enjoys entertainment such as music concerts, such as the upcoming free event at Schoenberg Hall celebrating the legacy of Ustad Sabri Khan on April 28.
