Projects and Research
The Baluji Music Foundation has created work avenues, opportunities, and creative works to raise awareness and develop a space for visually impaired musicians within the industry.
Original Composition: Roche Global Change Makers Campaign
Our Change Makers campaign aims to raise awareness of the impact of vision loss on daily life. Using art as a creative vehicle, three talented artists living with vision impairment – Dave Steele, Rachel Gadsden and Baluji Shrivastav, OBE – have come together to create an audio-visual performance including poetry, painting and music. The music was composed, performed, and directed by Baluji Shrivastav, OBE, with the Inner Vision Orchestra.
Concert Series: Blind Spot at St John's
Launch series of Blind Spot events
Concert Series: Indian Classical Interactions
Indian classical music interacts with Indonesia, flamenco, opera and world music from the Inner Vision Orchestra
Original Composition: Sitar Guitar Suites
Commissioned by renowned guitarist Timothy Walker with support from the Arts Council
Collaboration: Orchestra of samples
Addictive TV sampled musicians from the Inner Vision Orchestra for their ambitious and exciting global project Orchestra of Samples
Collaboration: Antardrishti-Inner Vision Multi-Media with Addictive TV
Addictive TV was asked to record and film blind musicians in India (both from Inner Vision and guest artists) and audiovisually sample them, bringing both a visual and mixed-media element to the Antardrishti-Inner Vision project.
Original composition: An Indian in London
Contemporary compositions by Baluji Shrivastav OBE and transcribed by Dario Marinelli expressing the experience of immigration through music
Original composition: Sohini and Mahival
The worlds first Urdu Ortorio which was then extended to become the world’s first Urdu opera. Music by Baluji Shrivastav OBE and Dario Marianelli, Libretto by Baluji Shrivastav OBE.
Original composition: Antardrishti - Inner Vision
Unlimited International Commission by Baluji Shrivastav OBE. An international music, dance and visual performance, the project is inspired by Chapter 11 of the Hindu philosophical epic the Bhagavad Gita. Music now available on ARC/Naxos.
Film: Inner Vision Film (2014, Dir. Cecile Embleton)
A documentary following the Inner Vision Orchestra on their first national UK tour showing “the power of music to transform lives”. Produced by the Baluji Music Foundation and filmed by award winning cinematographer Marie-Cecile Embleton.
Film: The Lives and Music of Blind Musicians in Post-War London (2018, Dir.Cecile Embleton)
Heritage Lottery Fund Project to capture the oral history of visually impaired musicians.
Film: The Colours of Sound (2020, Dir. Cecile Embleton)
Exploring movement, touch, imagination and love, this triptych of films reveals the sensorial world of three blind musicians and celebrates the resonating power of music.
Special Projects: Music Workshops
Regular sessions across London & UK with the Inner Vision Orchestra & guests
Concert Series: Inner Vision Orchestra Online Concert Series
Supported by the Arts Council, Vision Foundation, Garfield Weston and the Chapman Charitable Trust and filmed by Eva Maria Spielvogel, this series of concerts during the 2020 lockdown streamed on Youtube premiere showcased individual musicians from the Inner Vision Orchestra and their own repertoire.
Special Projects: Inner Vision Orchestra
The UK's only ensemble of professional blind musicians, brought together from all around the world by Indian multi-instrumentalist Baluji Shrivastav OBE. "joyously cross-cultural, stylistically boundless" BBC Radio 3 Music Matters