Melanie writes and performs original music for the piano which has been described as “moody and flowing,” and “Rachmaninoff meets Tori Amos in an art museum.” Her training in Western classical music informs her improvisational compositions and her style of playing is often modal, with extended arpeggiated flourishes and layered melodies throughout. In 2024, Melanie released Spiritus, an album of emotive piano music that was the result of a two day recording session where three pieces turned into twelve consecutive unplanned and unrehearsed tracks of reflective music. Spiritus loosely follows a liturgical setting and is meant to give the listener a contemplative, spiritual experience.

Atmos—ἀτμός (atmós) Greek, vapor, and Spirit—ˈspiritus Latin, breathing. Flutist Melanie Chirignan and pianist Melanie Hardage have been collaborating since 2023 as an improvisational duo. They first began experimenting using classical pieces of music as a basis for improvisation and quickly realized the potential for exploring other ways of thinking about music that might seem counter to the western art music tradition. Melanie and Melanie give interactive performances locally in the capital region and in New York. Their music is characterized by a layering of modal texturing on the piano with floating interwoven melodies on the flute.

Melanie has been performing with renowned Indian guitarist Susmit Sen as an East meets West guitar piano duo since 2017. The music is a mix of call and response, improvisation and textured harmonies nuanced by Susmit and Melanie’s Indian and Western classical roots, respectively. Their collaborative efforts have given both musicians a cross-cultural musical experience and the result has been a series of dynamic conversations between the guitar and piano.

The Susmit Sen Trio is comprised of Indian guitarist, Susmit Sen, Indian drummer and percussionist, Nandit Desai, and American pianist, Melanie Hardage.  With Susmit’s self-taught and distinctly Indian guitar, Melanie’s Western Classical influence, and Nandit’s Indo-Western rhythmic style, the result is experimental music with elements of jazz, Western classical and folk fused with Indian beat patterns and scale. The Susmit Sen Trio is instrumental music that takes the listener on a transcendental journey.