“At that time I was searching for an artistic way to express moods via acoustic music, refined structure and ornamentation.
The technical possibilities of the bansuri to create that certain sound in Indian music, was for me, the optimal medium. Today I continue to use its richness to contribute in diverse musical projects/situations.”

Biography

“He stood there on a cold Parisian day, dressed in a thick coat, looking like some urban caveman. Around his neck hung a box. I asked him what it was and that’s when he played me the first notes of my ears had heard from this divine instrument. He sent me to the fair at parc de la Villette, where I bought my first bansuri.”
Born and brought up in Duesseldorf amidst the strains of Mozart and Bach at her family piano, this was how Julia Ohrmanns long-standing relationship with the Bansuri started on the streets of her second home in Paris. So strong was her call after this encounter that she moved thereafter to Rotterdam to study under the tutelage of her guruji Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia at the World Music Academy “Codarts”.
Since then, she has been one of the first European women to share the stage with the legendary master and has toured internationally with him having being featured among others, on a significant concert for the BBC Network.
But Julia Ohrmann is a world citizen, both in human and musical form. And when she isn’t orbiting the universe of Indian Classical music, her contributions can be heard on a vast array of musical projects ranging from international film soundtracks to Brazilian music to experimental Electro-acoustic music.

Some career highlights:

• 
* International appearances on TV and Radio for “Vrije geluiden”, “Ohm.chutney.nl”, ‘Radio France” and French spiritual magazine “terre du ciel”.
• * Featured artist on award-winning Afganisthani Film ‘Wajma-an afghan love story’ (by Barmak Akram)
• * Assorted international Concerts in Mexico, Cypress, Holland, India and Germany.
• * Workshop Presentations at ‘Global Learning and Music 2013’ (Stuttgart, Germany).

Besides a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Indian music, she earns a Bachelor’s degree in musicology (Sorbonne university) and is state qualified to give music lessons to groups, children and adults, alike.

In 2016 Julia Ohrmann has been invited as a guest teacher and assistant of Pt. H. Chaurasia  at the conservatory Codarts in Rotterdam for a time period of 6 months.

learning bansuri

“Every student has a diffrent personality and diffrent needs and sees music in a diffrent way. I simply try to adapt to this basing myself on techniques and esthetics of North Indian music.
In order to learn how to improvise we need some basic rules, structure and compositions: Raga and tala are combining many ingredients like when we cook a delicious dish. The most important thing is to listen, to feel, to sing and to breath.”

Links

Indian classical music

• http://www.parrikar.org/vpl/?page_id=72
• http://spicmacay.com/
• http://www.itcsra.org/sra_index/sra_index.asp
• http://www.maiharmusiclineage.com/ustad_allauddin_khan_saheb.htm
• http://www.medieval.org/music/world/cds/nim5536.html (Ragaguide by J. Boer)
• Raag Guide.pdf by Prasad Upasani
• http://aacm.org/
• http://www.aliakbarcollege.org/?cat=9
• http://naad.eu/

traditional music

• http://www.labyrinthmusic.gr/en
• Asian Music Circuit
• Théâtre de la Ville
• Cité de la Musique, Paris

music videos

• Vilayat Khan, Bismillah Khan, Shanta Prasad -Thumri in Bhairavi
• Dr. N . Rajam – Raag Jhinjhoti – Violin
• Uppalapu Shrinivas (R.I.P.) – “Hidden trails”
• Annapurna Devi:  Raag Kaushiki
• Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia – Sans Breath (Raga Yaman)
• Pt. Nikhil Bannerjee – Unreleased Raga Bhairavi
• Dhruba Ghosh demonstrates the sarangi
• PT. Hariprasad Chaurasia & Pandita Kishori Amonkar – Raag Bhupali – Tarana ( Jugalbandi )

This website contains links to the websites of third parties (“external links”). As the content of these websites is not under our control, we cannot assume any liability for such external content. In all cases, the provider of information of the linked websites is liable for the content and accuracy of the information provided. At the point in time when the links were placed, no infringements of the law were recognisable to us.

Contact:

J. Ohrmann
mobile (nl): +31 (0)6 4525 6181
email: bansuri (at) juliaohrmann.com
skype adress: julia.ohrmann
drawings and illustrations: Julia Ohrmann

credits:
header photo: Hans Wijker
background photos: Michiel Burger