Nobel Prize winner's son in Mumbai soon

Cellist Raman Ramakrishnan has performed in the city before, but there's renewed interest this time thanks to his Nobel Laureate dad, scientist Venkatraman Ramakrishnan. An exclusive interview

Thirty-three-year-old Raman Ramakrishnan comes from a family of scientists, and holds a Bachelors degree from Harvard's in physics. Not that it ever even once stopped him from choosing chamber music over science. In fact, he tells us in an exclusive e-mail interview, how his music fraternity has more scientists than one would know or imagine. As he performs for the third time at Sangat 2009, the annual Chamber music concert organised by Mumbai-based Mehli Mehta Foundation, Ramakrishnan takes the all-new interest in quite easily, answering questions on his dad, his life and his music although, it is hard to separate the three from each other.

What are your earliest memories of music?
When I was four or five, my parents would take me to orchestra and chamber music concerts in New Haven, Connecticut. I don't remember much about them, except that I would focus on the cello. Also, my mother sings to herself a lot (and she sang to us as she put us to bed) u2013 a mixture of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Judy Collins, and Handel's Messiah.

What was played at home?
Almost entirely western classical. My father had a large collection of chamber music LPs, and I remember huddling up next to the speaker as he played the Juilliard Quartet's recording of Beethoven's The Late String Quartets. There were also a few folk albums (Judy Collins again), and The Beatles. My father had some Carnatic LPs, but I think he usually only played those when no one else was around.

As far as live music went, my mom played the flute occasionally, and my sister studied the violin through college. Sometimes we would play together.

Armed with a Bachelors in physics, were you an oddball in the music fraternity?
Right now I would probably fail a freshman physics exam. There are several other professional musicians I know that studied science as undergraduates. However, I would say the number of professional scientists who dabbled in music is far greater than the number of professional musicians who dabbled in science.

When did you begin leaning towards classical music?
My parents let me start cello lessons when I was seven, but I had been asking to play for a year or so before that. It was in college that I realised that I would have to do music as a career.

Who influenced you the most?
Pablo Casals, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Jacqueline Du Pre are three of my cello heroes. They had strong characters and they played with heart.

If not music, then what?
Dad's side of the family is full of scientists. I enjoyed my science and math classes in school. Writing also appealed to me, and I still have fantasies of completing a novel or a collection of short stories. But music was always the pursuit that excited me the most.

What other music do you enjoy?
I enjoy a range it is possible to communicate in just about any style of music. An album of John Coltrane playing the blues is one of my favorites. I also went through a Beatles phase, a Jimi Hendrix phase, a Smashing Pumpkins phase, and a Radiohead phase.

How is it playing in India?
India is like nowhere else in the world, and Mumbai is like nowhere else in India. I was born and raised in America, and I'm sure that fact is clear to everyone I meet in India, but sometimes I actually feel less conspicuous in India than in America. The audiences for Sangat have been knowledgeable and enthusiastic. I would love to see the audience expand, but I have that feeling in most places around the world. The perception everywhere seems to be that classical music is a very cerebral exercise that requires a lot of study for one to truly enjoy it. While it is true that a close examination of a great piece often yields insights that heighten one's enjoyment of it, it is also possible to intuitively enjoy a piece on a first hearing, with no formal knowledge of music. All you need is an open mind and some imagination.

MY FATHER

The Tamil Nadu-born molecular-biologist Venkatraman Ramakrishnan who received this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on the ribosome recently expressed his enthusiasm about Daedalus Quartet, the ensemble that his son plays with in America. Raman reveals how his father was quite the budding musician himself.

What does you father say about your music?
I think he's happy that I'm able to support myself. As I mentioned before, he and my mom have always encouraged me to choose a career I felt passionate about.

What's his advice to you?
Just simple truths: get plenty of sleep, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. I can't say I always follow those rules.

Has he had musical ambitions?
He took violin lessons for a short time, when I was about six years old. I would love to see him learn the piano because then he could play with my mom, who has been learning the cello for the past few years.

What's it like being known as a Nobel Laureate's son?
I'm very happy that his hard work has been acknowledged, but it hasn't affected my own life much. My dad has promised to use some of his prize money to buy a new cello for me, so I look forward to that (and I'm very grateful to him). I am in need of a better instrument.

How do you react to Indians wanting to embrace any figure of Indian origin when they attain international acclaim, be it Zubin Mehta or Venkatraman Ramakrishnan?
It is natural for Indians to be proud when someone from their midst attains international acclaim. And it has been exciting for my dad to be in the spotlight. I hope that the award inspires young Indians to read about his work, and, ultimately, to discover a passion in themselves for a project of their own.

Did your father discuss his work on the ribosome at home?
Yes, he thought about the ribosome constantly, and often discussed it. I was very excited when his lab solved the structure of the small subunit almost a decade ago, and I suspected that the Nobel would eventually be awarded for ribosome structure. But there were many contenders for the prize, and he was lucky to be one of the winners.

Also is it just a ridiculous stereotype or would scientists actually admit to being disconnected and absent-minded?
My dad and I would both admit to being absent-minded sometimes. For him, I'm sure it comes from thinking intensely about his work, which often lends a Beckett-like quality to his conversations. But he is not disconnected at all. He has always been interested in my life and my sister's life, and has given us both excellent career advice along the way.

India has its own strong tradition
of classical music, so it wouldn't be right to say that Sangat is filling a void.u00a0 However, I hope that Sangat has brought a new kind of enjoyment to Indians by exposing them to the sounds of Western classical chamber music.

The daedalus string quartet comprising
Raman Ramakrishnan on cello, Jessica Thompson on viola, Min-Young Kim and Kyu-Young Kim on violin was formed in 2000. The Daedalus Quartet's debut CD, works of Ravel, Sibelius, and Stravinsky, was released in August 2006 by Bridge Records

Venkatraman ramakrishnan
known fondly as Venky,u00a0 was born in Chidambaram, in Cuddalore district, in Tamil Nadu