The romance between Brian and the piano began early, it has been a burning desire, an insatiable passion to master the instrument. Brian’s early years were spent in Kanpur in a family steeped in music and tradition. He plays from sheer instinct. Incredibly, despite his parent’s insistence, he has had no formal training in music. As Brian grew up, the world of music, became the Goddess that he must relentlessly pursue. His tryst with the piano has got Brian fame and accolades from audiences in India and abroad. His genius has arrested the attention of the connoisseur as well as the uninitiated.
Although the piano has been widely used in picturising the romance in the Indian cinema, it is ironic that the main melody (song) was seldom composed with the piano in mind. It therefore becomes even more amazing how Brian has achieved in bringing out every nuance and detail of the lyrics and music becoming a one man orchestra on this grand instrument.
Brian has pioneered this technique to adapt the Piano a distinctively western instrument to the music of his own country. He evokes the nostalgia of great music directors like Khayyam, Salil Choudhary, O.P. Nayyar, S.D. Burman, Laxmi Kant Pyare Lal, Ravi and the inimitable Madan Mohan, leaving his audience spell bound. On listening to his composition ‘jane kya dhoondti rehti hain ye aankhen mujh mein, the great composer khayyam saheb exclaimed ‘tumne to hamari rooh pakad li’ (you have reached out to the depths of my soul) and further went on to explain that whatever was missing in the original recording has today been completed.
Using his innovative style, Brian has been widely acclaimed as the new star of the piano. This has prompted Mr. Khushwant Singh to say he makes the piano sing. Brian is a much sought after musician filling his audience with a charm of his special music. He has released more than 30 albums which now include hindi devotional and christmas carols.
One of the magical moments created by Brian’s music has been the Grand Omega event in Jan. 1998 featuring Cindy Crawford as its ambassador. He has been a hit on fashion shows, providing the sensuous melody to which fashion models sway on the ramp. In fact, the curtain raiser of Miss World had Brian playing the piano. He has performed extensively in all the leading auditoriums to packed houses followed by rave reviews. The list is long and endless.
On 15th Aug., 1998, Brian was honored by an invitation to play at the UN Hall in New York on the occasion of India’s 51st Independence Day. Subsequently he played for a charitable fund-raiser of the Indo-American society at the Rockerfeller Center in New York with was attended by Mr. Bill Clinton. He has also played for the Indian High Commission in the UK. He has had a series of successful tours in the U.S., Canada, UK, Middle East, Europe and Mauritius.
Brian in his unique style using a western instrument has promoted the Indian culture at the national and international level.
Brian’s growing popularity has brought a stream of enthusiastic budding… pianist both young and old… who want to learn this technique to them. His shishyas (students) have also had opportunities to perform in an Auditorium with their Guru. The piano has become a passion for the young ones and this is nurtured by Brian’s patience to teach and share his knowledge. The music of yesteryears which was being shelved has been revived with a new interest bringing back the emotions, sensitivity, philosophy and morality which are the essence of Indian culture. The public acclaim and applaud leaves him untouched. His heart reaches out to the under privileged and socially exploited. He is a part of an organization called Artist for Empowerment for the last five years, wherein he has performed on several occasions for funds raisers towards the cause of gender bias rehabilitation of victimized women.
He has endorsed the cause of the awareness of the HIV aids organized by an NGO called CORE to educate the police personnel. He has also joined hands in a training program for the police at the grass root level towards cultural and social sensitization.
Children have a special place in Brian’s heart and he is associated with Tamana an organization for special children. Palna is another such organization to which he has contributed with his music. Children at Prayaas, a home for the homeless, have had Brian performing for their fund raisers.
The armed forces have been disarmed when they hear the magical melody of this genius. During the Kargil war he played for the wounded in the hospital supporting their patriotism.
Brian was the first artist who had an instrumental music program on the piano as a weekly serial on the leading TV channel Sahara TV. This was very well received by the audience. Brian’s fervor and reverence for the piano is deeply religious – when he plays he is one with his maker. And yet – the piano is also the instrument that he strokes with the passion of a lover, slowly building the music to a crescendo, moving his listeners to untold heights of emotions and ecstasy.