EYM Trio featuring Varijashree Venugopal

Formed in France in 2010 by pianist Elie Dufour, double bassist Yann Phayphet and drummer Marc Michel, EYM Trio explores the international realm of jazz, touring the world and fostering deep artistic connections and collaborations. At the core of the trio’s musical evolution are the artists and approaches they have discovered throughout their many performances across the globe.

EYM Trio has performed on stages and festivals throughout the world, including the Tokyo Jazz Festival, Winter Jazz Festival (New York), Jazz à Vienne, Kolkata Jazz Fest, Jarasum Jazz Festival (South Korea), Taichung Jazz Festival (Taiwan), Medellin Jazz Festival (Colombia), Ngayog Jazz Festival (Indonesia) and many others.

Their newest album, Bangalore, is named after the capital city of Karnataka in south India and is where the trio first met Varijashree Venugopal. The music is a reflection of their friendship, spontaneity and musical connection. It blends boundaries, genres and cultures, representing a crossover between jazz and Carnatic traditions.

Varijashree Venugopal

Vocalist and flutist Varijashree Venugopal was born in India to musician parents Vidwan Sri H.S. Venugopal and Smt. T.V. Rama. At 18 months old, she could identify nearly 50 ragas—200 by the time she was 4.

She was initially trained by her father, Vidwan H.S. Venugopal, before undergoing formal training in Carnatic music under Vidhushi H. Geetha. She learned rare compositions from Vidhushi Vasantha Srinivasan and Vidwan D.S. Srivatsa and later took advanced music lessons under Gaanakalanidhi Vidwan Salem P. Sundarean. She gave her first Carnatic vocal performance at the age of 7 at the prestigious platform of Bangalore Gayana Samaj.

Beyond her proficiency in Carnatic music, Varijashree has a deep knowledge of jazz and occidental music. She has been recognized by Chick Corea, Victor Wooten, John McLaughlin, Bobby McFerrin, Béla Fleck, Hamilton De Hollanda, and others.