Dhiren Panikker,

Dhiren Panikker is a PhD candidate in ethnomusicology at UC Riverside. His dissertation research examines improvisation and post-9/11 race and gender politics in contemporary jazz and creative music. Dhiren holds an MFA in Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology from UC Irvine (2010), and a BM in Jazz Studies from CSU Fullerton (2008). He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Dissertation Year Fellowship, Gluck Fellowship, Dean’s Distinguished Fellowship, and Medici Foundation Scholarship. Dhiren has presented his research at various national and international conferences including the Society for Ethnomusicology, International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation, and International Association for the Study of Popular Music. An active pianist and composer, Dhiren performs at prominent jazz venues throughout Los Angeles and with his own group, Trio Sangha. Outside of performance, Dhiren teaches private music lessons in piano, theory, and composition, and conducts master classes and workshops throughout Southern California.