Colors of Raga

Jay Gandhi graces the stage with a melodius set at Gaia Nomaya for our next concert in the Colors of Raga Series! He will be accompanied by young maestro Vivek Pandya on tabla.The concert will be a journey into the many dimensions and subtleties of raga, essence and spontaneous unfolding. The repertoire will range from the introspective and meditative to the joyful, romantic and ecstatic. In this presentation, he will choose a spontaneous selection from a colorful palette of hindustani classical ragas to the folk melodies of North India.

7pm Doors Open | 8:00 - 9:30 pm Concert

Event Description

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Colors of Raga, BRM’s deep-listening concert series, is back! This month's show features Hindustani vocalist, Mitali Bhawmik. Hindustani music has seasonal ragas and compositions that are performed exclusively during certain seasons. Mitali will present ”Ritu Basant : Spring Enchantment”, classical ragas and semi-classical compositions celebrating the many musical flavors of Spring. She will be accompanied by Mir Naqibul Islam on the tabla and Sanatan Goswami on the harmonium.

‍Doors open at 7PM, and the concert starts at 7:30 PM. 

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About the Artists

‍Mitali Bhawmik, a recipient of the 2021 Excellence in the Arts Award from the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission, is one of the country’s leading Hindustani Raga music singers. Equally proficient in the two sub genres of raga voice music, Khayal and Thumri, Mitali has been a musician of global prominence, while also being an invaluable part of the New York / New Jersey music community as a performer, educator and concert presenter. She trained under such luminaries as Padmabhushan V. G Jog, Meera Banerjee, Dalia Raut, and many other dedicated gurus like Ajit Dutta and Biren Phukan of Assam, India.

Mir Naqibul Islam is a tabla player of the “Farukhabad” gharana style. Mir received training from Pt. Ashoke Paul and continues to train with the Farukhabad Mastero Anindo Chatterjee. His style is also greatly influenced by his close association with maestro Suresh Talwalkar and Gopal Mishra.

Sanatan Goswami is a harmonium player and Swar-tarang player from Kolkata, India. His gurus include Manindra Goswami, Dinanath Mishra, Maharaj Banerjee and Padmabhusan V. G. Jog. He is an actively touring performer, known for his solo recitals as well as accompaniment.

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Our Colors of Raga series is back, with a collaborative concert with Jay Gandhi and Abhik Mukherjee, accompanied by Tejas Tope on table. Both captivating solo performers in their own right, they have also become well known for their enthralling musical chemistry together. Abhik Mukherjee is a shining voice of the Imdhadkhani sitar gharana and Jay Gandhi, a leading disciple of bansuri legend Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia. Their contrasting yet complementary musical styles offer a compelling composite of melodic and rhythmic approaches and their performances are often imbued with a deep and spontaneous exploration of rasa (emotional essence) and mood. Their repertoire ranges from the introspective and meditative to the joyful, romantic and ecstatic. Join us at the top floor of the beautiful Fotografiska museum on November 30th at 7 PM. Doors at 6:30 PM, and ticket prices include admission into the museum!

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This month’s first Colors of Raga concert, BRM’s deep listening series, will feature a new BRM ensemble, Rasa Yatra. This soulful ensemble will explore Nothern Hindustani and Southern Carnatic traditions with Jay Gandhi (bansuri flute), Arun Ramamurthy (violin), Abhik Mukherjee (sitar), Samarth Nagarkar (vocals), Tejas Tope (tabla), and Swaminathan Selvaganesh (kanjira). Join us at Gaia Nomaya on September 7th! Doors at 7:00 PM, concert at 7:30 PM.

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About the Artist

Rasa Yātra (“journey of essence”) is a captivating musical ensemble that celebrates the rich emotive tapestry of Indian classical music. Drawing inspiration from both the Northern Hindustani and Southern Carnatic traditions, the group takes audiences on a yātra (journey) across these expansive realms of beauty and expression. At the heart of this ensemble is a gathering of exceptionally talented musicians, friends and longtime collaborators, each a master of their craft. Featured artists include Jay Gandhi (bansuri flute), Arun Ramamurthy (violin), Abhik Mukherjee (sitar), Samarth Nagarkar (vocals), Vivek Pandya (tabla), and Swaminathan Selvaganesh (kanjira). Embark on this extraordinary experience with Rasa Yātra and immerse yourself in the expansive beauty of Indian classical music

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Carnatic classical vocalist Vid. Vrinda Acharya joins us on August 17th for this month’s Colors of Raga, a deep-listening classical concert series. She will be presenting a riveting traditional concert that will feature various ragas and compositions with interesting elements of improvisations. She will be accompanied by a Arun Ramamurthy on the violin and Sriram Raman on the mridangam.

About the Artists:

‍Vid. Vrinda Acharya is a well-known Carnatic Vocalist from Bangalore, India. Being the prime disciple of the legendary Sangeeta Kalacharya Vid. Neela Ramgopal, she has carved a niche for herself through her traditional concerts, thematic programs, lecture demonstrations and music workshops. Emphasis on bhava and clarity of sahitya, adherence to classical authenticity, eye for intricate nuances, wide repertoire and enthusiastic rendering of kritis are her special attributes which, coupled with a rich mellifluous voice, have groomed her into a proficient performer representing a purely classical school of music. She is a graded artist of AIR, recipient of several awards including Ananya Yuva Puraskara and Aryabhata Award, has performed across India and abroad, given programs on many TV channels and released many albums.

Vrinda is an M.Com degree holder (Gold Medalist - first rank for Bangalore University), an MA in Sanskrit and a rank holder in Vidwat in Carnatic Music. A multi-faceted personality, she is also an academic scholar, researcher and writer in her own right. She has presented papers at several national and international conferences on music and Vedic heritage, and also recipient of research fellowships. She has given lectures on Indian music at many universities in the US. She is also well- versed in Sampradaya Bhajana Paddhati and an amateur Veena artist. She is the Vice-President of 'Anubhooti'- an organization co-founded by her for the promotion and propagation of Indian arts and culture.

Arun Ramamurthy is a multifaceted violinist, composer and educator based in Brooklyn, NY, and is a disciple of the celebrated Carnatic violinist brothers, Sri Mysore Nagaraj & Dr. Mysore Manjunath and the esteemed violinist Sri Ananthakrishnan. He is a versatile artist, performing internationally in both traditional Carnatic and Hindustani settings as well as bridging genres with his own innovative projects like the acclaimed Arun Ramamurthy Trio. Arun is a recipient of Chamber Music America's New Jazz Works commission, and will premiere the original work end of 2022. Arun has shared stages with luminaries like Dr. M. Balamurali Krishna, Sudha Ragunathan, Subhankar Banerjee, Reggie Workman, Kenny Werner, Jamey Haddad, Amir ElSaffar among others. Arun's music has brought him prestigious stages like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Celebrate Brooklyn and more. Arun is a co-founder of Brooklyn Raga Massive, a collective of forward thinking musicians rooted-in and inspired-by the classical music of India. He also created the popular concert series Carnatic Sundays at Cornelia Street Café, an iconic jazz venue in New York’s West Village. As an educator, Arun teaches students ranging from beginners to professional musicians in Indian music performance, technique and theory. He has taught workshops on Indian classical music at music schools, universities, conservatories and summer music programs.

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Sriram Raman is a mridangist and teacher based in New York and a disciple of the mridangam maestro, Neyveli R. Narayanan. Sriram started playing the mridangam at the age of 6. For the past 2 decades, Sriram has accompanied several popular artists in Carnatic concerts in the US and in Chennai, his hometown. Sriram is a regular performer in the annual December season of classical concerts held in Chennai. Sriram also plays drums for NY-based rock band, Sepoy. Professionally, Sriram is a Product Manager and has had the privilege of working at some of the best technology firms in the world.

Experience the beauty of Indian classical music in an sublime instrumental concert featuring maestro Hidayat Husain Khan. Renowned for his mastery of the sitar, Hidayat effortlessly carries forward the illustrious legacy of his legendary father, Ustad Vilayat Khan. Immerse yourself in mesmerizing ragas and entrancing rhythms as Khan takes you on a profound journey through the timeless realms of Indian classical music. Khan will be joined by Anubrata Chatterjee on tabla.

‍About the Artist

Hidayat Husain Khan, a maverick sitar player and sublime vocalist, is a world-renowned musician whose talent encompasses a rare and unique combination of skills. With a lineage stretching back seven generations, he hails from a heritage of innovators and leaders in Indian classical music. As the son of the legendary Ustad Vilayat Khan, Hidayat carries on the rich musical legacy of his family. He has graced the stage alongside esteemed artists such as Ustad Vilayat Khan, Zakir Husain, Alicia Keys, Yo-Yo Ma, and has collaborated with an impressive array of musicians, including Jay Z, Usher, Darryl Jones, Will.I.Am, Ndugu Chancler, Ronnie Woods, and Pete Townshend.

Experience the musical energy of legendary sitar maestro Pandit Nayan Ghosh and his son, tabla prodigy Ishaan Ghosh, as they present a rich, dynamic, and soulful Indian classical music performance as part of Brooklyn Raga Massive’s deep-listening Colors of Raga series. Doors at 7pm; show at 7:30pm.

“The father-son duo improvised upon melodies and rhythmic constructions while playing off one another with a near telepathy consistency” - The New York Times

“He is peerless in his ability to reveal the depth and soul of each Raga - he plays with such intensity and color” - Great Hall of De Doelen, Netherlands

About the Artists

Pandit Nayan Ghosh is an icon of Indian classical music today, being the only artist to have equal mastery over two diverse instruments – the Sitar and the Tabla. He is the son and disciple of the 20th century Tabla maestro and Guru Padmabhushan Pandit Nikhil Ghosh and the nephew of Pannalal Ghosh, who is known as the “Father of Hindustani Flute.” 

Having performed, lectured and taught extensively in India and globally, he has been one of the ambassadors of traditional Indian Music for over 50 years now. Besides being a popular soloist, Nayan-ji has performed with legendary figures like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Pandit Nikhil Banerjee, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pandit Jasraj, Pandit Buddhadev Dasgupta, and several others. Among innumerable accolades, he was awarded the prestigious Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award by the Indian government as well as an Achievement Award from the Governor of California. In 2016, Nayan-ji was specially invited along with his son by President Jimmy Carter of USA for a benefit concert for the famed ‘Habitat for Humanity’ project.

Ishaan Ghosh stands out as a front-ranking young Tabla player of India, having received intensive training from his father, the renowned Tabla and sitar maestro, Pandit Nayan Ghosh. As a child prodigy,, he has carved a niche for himself as a full-fledged soloist as well as a collaborator, having performed with stalwarts like Pt. Jasraj, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Dr. N. Rajam, Pt. Nayan Ghosh, Pt. Ajoy Chakraborty, Kaushiki Chakraborty, Taufiq Qureshi, Pt. Ronu Majumdar, Niladri Kumar, Rakesh Chaurasia, Rahul Deshpande, Purbayan Chatterjee, as well as several other Indian and  international musicians. Ishaan has regularly presented his music to audiences in India and the world over at prestigious venues and music festivals which have won him critical acclaim and rave reviews. He was awarded with the ‘Baba Allauddin Khan Yuva Puraskar’ by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in 2012, the ‘Achievement Award’ by President Jimmy Carter in 2016, the ‘Rising Star Award’ in 2019 and the ‘Kalashree Samman’ from the Government of Maharashtra in 2020.

As part of Brooklyn Raga Massive’s deep-listening classical music series, one of India’s finest Sarod maestros, Tejendra Narayan Majumdar, along with tabla player Tanmoy Bose will ring in the Spring in the most magical way with their rich and soulful music. Virtuoso singer Samarth Nagarkar accompanied by tabla player Dibyarka Chatterjee and Rohan Prabhudesai on harmonium will precede this performance with rare seasonal ragas and compositions. 

Set I. Samarth Nagarkar with Dibyarka Chatterjee and Rohan Prabhudesai

Set II. Tejendra Narayan Majumdar with Tanmay Bose

About the Artists:

Tejendra Narayan Majumdar is one of the most celebrated Sarod players of India today. He is a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Academy Award, the highest award in the field of music and art by the Government of India. Trained under the legends like Bahudur Khan, Ajay Sinha Roy and Ali Akbar Khan, Majumdar is a prominent headliner in music festivals across the world, tours the world extensively and has numerous albums to his credit. 

Tanmoy Bose is a leading tabla virtuoso from India, known for his collaborations with the likes of Ravi Shankar, Anoushka Shankar and Amjad Ali Khan as well as his own initiative, Taal Tantra Experience, a unique percussion ensemble bridging together classical, folk and indigenous drumming traditions of India. Bose trained under Kanai Dutta and Shyamal Bose. 

Samarth Nagarkar is one of the foremost torchbearers of the North Indian classical voice traditions, known as Raga music, Hindustani or Khayal music. He has featured in prominent music festivals and venues across the world. He has several solo and collaborative albums to his credit and has authored the much lauded book, ‘Raga Sangeet’. Trained under distinguished gurus, Ulhas Kashalkar and Dinkar Kaikini, he represents the Gwalior, Agra and Jaipur gharanas and is a former scholar of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata. He is a recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award for Excellence in the Arts from NAKA, and a Fellowship from the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India, among other accolades.

Dibyarka Chatterjee is the son and disciple of Pandit Samir Chatterjee, and as such represents the Farrukhabad Gharana of tabla playing. Dibyarka performs and tours with some of the great maestros of Indian Classical Music. He teaches tabla extensively in the NY & NJ area and is affiliated with many institutions that promote Indian Classical Music and Dance across the country.

‍Rohan Prabhudesai is a versatile musician, equally adept at Indian and Western classical as well as jazz music. He received training in harmonium from Tulsidas Borkar and Kedar Naphade. He studied classical contemporary composition at NYU Steinhardt and Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, and trained in classical piano with Mr. Edwin Lopez, concert master and conductor. Rohan pretends to be a finance professional by day.

Brooklyn Raga Massive joins forces with the Hudson Festival Orchestra (HFO) for a benefit concert in support of HFO's annual, free public programming in the Hudson Valley. As part of BRM’s deep listening classical concert series, Colors of Raga, artists Abhik Mukherjee (sitar), Eric Fraser (bansuri), Ehren Hanson (tabla) and Dibyarka Chatterjee (tabla) will present an afternoon of enthralling Indian classical music.

Hudson Festival Orchestra (HFO), a professional orchestra, formed in 2019 and based in the city of Hudson, NY, presents an annual concert for full orchestra on the Hudson waterfront. Called “Hudson in Concert: A Community Celebration,” it is free and open to the public and celebrates our diverse American heritage through music. Believing that music and culture can bridge divides and build community, the mission of Hudson Festival Orchestra (HFO) is to bring diverse area residents together through live musical celebration of our shared American and diverse cultural heritages. To learn more about the great things HFO is doing in the community check out www.hudsonfestivalorchestra.org

This event is open to all with a suggested donation of $25-$40.

Carnatic classical vocalist Sangeetha Swaminathan presents an evening of compositions highlighting the connections between ragas and rasa (emotions). The concert will feature a string of traditional pieces based on both Carnatic and Hindustani ragas as well as a Ragam Tanam Pallavi, the most elaborate improvised section of the performance where the musicians get to showcase the full extent of their virtuosity and depth of knowledge and skill. Sangeetha will be accompanied by Arun Ramamurthy on violin and Sriram Raman on mridangam. 

About the Artists 

Sangeetha Swaminathan has been performing since the age of 9. She first learned music  from her father Sri Karur Krishnamoorthy and subsequently from Shrimati Sudha Raghunathan, the foremost female exponent of Carnatic music today. She is an ‘A’ grade artiste of the All India Radio Madras, an important recognition in Carnatic music and has emerged as the torchbearer of  her style of singing among the next generation of musicians. Sangeetha is a regular performer at the annual Carnatic music festival in December in Chennai, India and has several awards and titles to her credit  including from the Music Academy of Madras and the Carnatic Music Association of North America. She has recorded over a dozen music albums with Charsur Digital Workstation, the premier music label for Carnatic music. Since moving to the U.S. in 2002, Sangeetha has performed in cities across the US and in other locations worldwide such as London, Singapore, the UAE, Seoul, and in Israel, Syria, Cyprus, Italy and Romania under the sponsorship of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

Arun Ramamurthy is a multifaceted violinist, composer and educator based in Brooklyn, NY, and is a disciple of the celebrated Carnatic violinist brothers, Sri Mysore Nagaraj & Dr. Mysore Manjunath and the esteemed violinist Sri Ananthakrishnan. He is a versatile artist, performing internationally in both traditional Carnatic and Hindustani settings as well as bridging genres with his own innovative projects like the acclaimed Arun Ramamurthy Trio. Arun is a recipient of Chamber Music America's New Jazz Works commission, and will premiere the original work end of 2022. Arun has shared stages with luminaries like Dr. M. Balamurali Krishna, Sudha Ragunathan, Subhankar Banerjee, Reggie Workman, Kenny Werner, Jamey Haddad, Amir ElSaffar among others. Arun's music has brought him prestigious stages like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Celebrate Brooklyn and more. Arun is a co-founder of Brooklyn Raga Massive, a collective of forward thinking musicians rooted-in and inspired-by the classical music of India. He also created the popular concert series Carnatic Sundays at Cornelia Street Café, an iconic jazz venue in New York’s West Village. As an educator, Arun teaches students ranging from beginners to professional musicians in Indian music performance, technique and theory. He has taught workshops on Indian classical music at music schools, universities, conservatories and summer music programs. Learn more at www.arunramamurthy.com.

Sriram Raman is a mridangist and teacher based in New York and a disciple of the mridangam maestro, Neyveli R. Narayanan. Sriram started playing the mridangam at the age of 6. For the past 2 decades, Sriram has accompanied several popular artists in Carnatic concerts in the US and in Chennai, his hometown. Sriram is a regular performer in the annual December season of classical concerts held in Chennai. Sriram also plays drums for NY-based rock band, Sepoy. Professionally, Sriram is a Product Manager and has had the privilege of working at some of the best technology firms in the world.

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Our December edition of the Colors of Raga deep listening Indian classical music series will feature sitarist Abhik Mukhejee accompanied by Vikas Yendluri on tabla.

Abhik Mukherjee is an Indian classical sitar artist of the Etawah gharana known for his passion, charisma, and spontaneity as a performer and improviser. He received his musical training from Pandit Arvind Parikh and Pandit Kashinath Mukherjee, themselves the disciples of the legendary Ustad Vilayat Khan. Abhik began his sitar training at the age of six in Kolkata, India under the guidance of his father. His first performance was at the age of nine at the Governor’s House in Kolkata. Abhik has performed and given workshops in India, Taiwan, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Suriname, Colombia, Cuba, and Argentina. He has performed as a featured soloist with the New York Philharmonic and shared the stage with Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder at the inaugural concert for the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial in Washington, D.C. Abhik has directed music for independent documentaries and composed and performed music for mainstream Hollywood films such as On Golden Year, Low Down, and A Call to Spy. 

‍Vikas Yendluri is a musician & tabla player based in New York. He began his training at the age of 5 under Sri Arshad Syed, and has continued training under Ustad Zakir Hussain. In addition to his work as a soloist, Vikas has accompanied some of the greatest masters of Indian classical music, including Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ustad Shahid Parvez, and Pandit Rajeev Taranath.

Brooklyn Raga Massive’s first Colors of Raga event of the year will feature santoor virtuoso Vinay Desai accompanied by Shivalik Ghoshal on tabla. The evening will begin with a meditative melodic improvisation that takes the listeners to a place of deep stillness. Once the mood of the raag is set and the ambience built, Ghoshal will join Desai in creating powerful rhythmic phrases that take the listeners on a melodic and rhythmic journey. The concert will conclude with a fast paced piece that enthralls the audience. 

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Vinay Desai
Vinay is a direct disciple of the world renowned Santoor Maestro Padma Vibhusan Pandit Shivkumar Sharmaji. Initially, Vinay received knowledge in vocal/harmonium/tabla from Shafiq Rahman in his teens. After completing his college in both Pre-pharmaceutical science as well as Pre-Law in Delaware, Vinay sought out to learn Santoor in India. In 2011, Pandit Shivkumar Sharmaji guided Vinay to begin his training under Takahiro Arai and Kunal Gunjal before being accepted by Panditji himself. Vinay regularly performs throughout the USA, including Hawaii, Argentina, Canada, The Bahamas, and India. He is known for his meditative and dynamic musical phrases. His devotion to the purity and the depth of Shivkumar Sharma's style comes forth in performance. Learn more at https://www.vinaydesaisantoor.com.

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Shivalik Ghoshal
Shivalik Ghoshal comes from a musical family.  From the age of seven, Shivalik has been a student of Sree Kinner K. Seen of Punjab gharana since 1989.  Kinner-ji’s father, Pandit Lachman Seen, is the gurubhai of the late Ustad Alla Rakha Khan-Saheb.  Presently, he is a student of the tabla maestro Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri of the Lucknow gharana since 1997. Shivalik has had the honour and privilege of accompanying maestros like Pandit Manilal Nag, Smt Girija Devi, Pandit Jasraj, Pandit Phalguni Mitra and Ustad Ali Ahmed Hussain.  Last but not least, Shivalik has performed all the tabla drumming in the Oscar winning soundtrack of the 2004 docu-drama, “Born Into Brothels.”

Priya Purushothaman, a leading voice in the next generation of Hindustani vocalists, joins the Colors of Raga deep-listening classical concert series with a recital of evening ragas. Priya will be joined by Vivek Pandya on tabla and Suhail Yusuf Khan on sarangi. 

About the Artists

Priya Purushothaman is a Hindustani vocalist trained in the style of the Agra gharana under Vidushi Aditi Upadhya, Pandit Sudhindra Bhaumik, and Agra gharana stalwart Pandit Dinkar Kaikini. Over the last 20 years, Priya has performed at reputed venues around the world. She has been featured at the Barbican Centre, London; Bimhhuis, Amsterdam; Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert Series, NY; National Centre for Performing Arts, Mumbai; Kalakshetra, Chennai; Gharana NextGen Festival, Mumbai; among others. Aside from her focus on traditional practice, she has collaborated with internationally reputed artists including Grammy award winning composer Osvaldo Golijov, British electronic musician Actress, Dutch jazz ensemble Spinifex, and others. 

As an educator, she runs a global private teaching studio in-person and online, where she utilizes a contemporary approach to relate to learners of different generations. She has been invited as a guest at leading institutions including Codarts, Rotterdam; Utrecht Conservatory, Utrecht; Syracuse University; Society for Arts and Cultural Heritage, California; to name a few. Priya is a graduate of Columbia University, where she studied Philosophy, Economics, and Creative Writing. Her work in music extends to other creative realms. She is the author of the book, "Living Music: Conversation with Pandit Dinkar Kaikini" and the creator of the educational children's podcast, "Music & Masti." Learn more at www.priyapurushothaman.com.

Suhail Yusuf Khan, a devoted Sarangi player has been hailed as a child prodigy in the world of Indian Classical music. Continuing in the family tradition, Suhail draws from a rich musical heritage and is an eighth generation Sarangi player. A descendant of the Moradabad-Rampur and Senia Gharana of Miyan Tansen, he is the grandson of renowned Sarangi legend, Padmabhushan and Padmashree recipient, Ustad Sabri Khan, and nephew of the Sarangi genius, Ustad Kamal Sabri. 

Vivek Pandya is a young and much sought after tabla virtuoso. He has made a mark for himself as one of the foremost tabla players in the country while still in his teens, and is known for his versatility as an accompanist as well as a soloist. 

Set I. Megha Rawoot (sitar) with Vikas Yendluri (tabla)
Set II. Supriyo Dutta (vocals) with Indranil Malick (tabla)

In this edition of Colors of Raga, Brooklyn Raga Massive’s deep-listening classical concert series, we hear from Mumbai-based sitar virtuoso Megha Rawoot and young star of Hindustani Classical vocals Supriyo Dutta. Joined by tabla player Vikas Yendluri, Rawoot will present a set of beautiful and soothing meditative ragas, concluding with a light classical dhun and traditional thumri with surprises! Dutta will be joined by Indranil Malick on tabla. and Anirban Chakraborty playing tabla and harmonium respectively. The trio will showcase two increasingly rare and tremendously rich traditional styles of Indian classical vocal music: Indore and Agra. Dutta will bring forth his versatility through a wide range of compositional styles like khayal, thumri/dadra, and bhajan.

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About the Artists:

Megha Rawoot is a Mumbai based sitar player. Currently she is a disciple of Sitar Maestro Purbayan Chatterjee. She has been playing sitar since 2009. She has taken the training in sitar from Mrs. Deepti Mishra and pt. Madan Shankar Mishra also. She has done her Bachelor’s degree in Hindustani music (sitar) from Miranda house, Delhi University and completed Masters in performing arts (sitar). She is an awardee of National scholarship for junior category in the field of sitar by CCRT, ministry of culture and an awardee of Scholarship for young artist in the same field by Ministry of culture. She has attended many music festivals and camps. She has performed in many national and state competitions in India. She was runner up in 19th national youth festival “Bandhav” and represented Delhi, held in Assam. She has been an artist in All India Radio. She has performed in 140th harivallabh sangeet samaroh. She has performed National and International stages. For the last few years she has been collaborating with well known artists, musicians and bands, exploring and welcoming new genres of music other than Indian Classical Music. Currently she collaborated with the very well known music directors of the country Salim-Sulaiman for their project “Bhoomi 2021” and Abhijit Vaghani for “Mixtape Rewind season 3.”

Supriyo Dutta is a young star of Hindustani Vocal Classical music. He has trained under some of the finest and legendary icons of Indian classical music namely , Pandit Ramkrishna Basu (Indore gharana) and Padmashri & Sangeet Natak Academy Ratna awardee Pandit Vijay Kichlu, and Vidushi Subhra Guha.He has performed extensively in the Indian subcontinent and throughout the world including tours and concerts in Australia, Italy, Germany, France, and the U.S. He has received many awards and accolades and is also an empaneled artist of the ICCR ( Indian Council for Cultural Relations). In addition to performing , he has directed many documentaries related to Hindustani classical music and regularly holds highly regarded training classes and workshops at the school and university level. In addition to voice training, instrumentalists and performers join his workshops and classes on comparative study of basics of Western and Indian classical music. He has also released many recordings- learn more at www.supriyodutta.com.

Vocalist Bhuvanesh Komkali joined by tabla player Sanjay Deshpande and Abhishek Shinkar on harmonium to continue BRM’s Colors of Raga deep listening series with a Hindustani Classical Vocal recital at Brooklyn oasis Gaia NoMaya. Coming from long lineages of prolific musicians and teachers across India, these three virtuosic artists will present an energetic evening of traditional ragas, nirguni, and sagun bhajans.

Hailed as "the new king of Indian classical violin" and “India’s Itzhak Perlman," Ambi Subramaniam is the exciting new voice of the carnatic violin tradition. The winner of two Global Indian Music Awards, one of GQ's 25 Most Influential Young Indians of 2021, and a youth delegate at the United Nations, Subramaniam is bringing carnatic music to new heights and new audiences. As an educator, he has co-authored over 20 textbooks in total and co-hosts The SaPa Show on Sankara TV, to teach global music to young children across the world. In this special concert as part of Brooklyn Raga Massive’s Colors of Raga deep listening classical series, Subramaniam is joined by Akshay Anantapadmanabhan on the mridangam and Sowmiya Narayanan on the ghatam.

About the Artists

Ambi Subramaniam has been trained by his father and guru Dr. L. Subramaniam since he was three years old and gave his first stage performance at the age of seven. He has received recognitions including the Ritz Icon of the Year Award, the Rotary Youth Award, two Global Indian Music Awards and was named among GQ's 25 Most Influential Young Indians in 2021. Along with his sister Bindu, Ambi runs SaPa, which teaches music to over 30,000 children. He has co-authored over 20 textbooks in total, including India’s first series of textbooks dedicated to teaching the Carnatic violin. Ambi was recently a featured soloist in the background score of the Bollywood film Sardar Uddham, composed by Shantanu Moitra. He also co-hosts The SaPa Show on Sankara TV, to teach global music to young children across the world. He is a youth delegate at the United Nations for the Sri Chinmoy Peace Meditation group. Ambi has an MBA in Finance, a Ph.D. on developing a global violin technique, and an LTCL in the western violin from the Trinity College of Music. Learn More at http://www.ambi.in.

Akshay Anantapadmanabhan is a reputed and sought after mridangam artist. A senior disciple of Sangita Kala Acharya Sri. T.H. Subash Chandran, Akshay has performed with most of the leading names of Carnatic music. He has also given collaborative performances with Hindustani, Latin jazz, American jazz and rock musicians in unique showcases of South Indian percussion. His latest solo production: ‘Re-imagining Indian Rhythms’ pushes the boundaries of Indian rhythms bringing together the mridangam, kanjira, konnakol and bharathanatyam with digital loopers and visual graphics. Akshay is also a core member of the viral Indian Classical fusion bands ‘The Thayir Sadam Project’ and ‘Carnatic 2.0 Reloaded.’ He has also published several academic papers on the mridangam and Indian rhythms in international music technology journals. He continues to work on research collaborations on generative approaches of Carnatic rhythms with NYU Abu Dhabi. Akshay is the recipient of many awards including recognition for his latest discovery of the "spotless mridangam", the ‘Best Mridangist’ award from the Music Academy Madras, Maharajapuram Youth Excellence Award, C.S. Murugaboopathy award from Krishna Gana Sabha, 2015 North America Young Musician Award and many others. He is also an educator of Carnatic percussion, teaching both classical and multi-genre musicians.

Sitar virtuoso Pt. Krishna Mohan Bhatt is widely regarded as one of the pre-eminent artists of our time with an innovative style of music that combines a rich blend of vocal and instrumental techniques. He represents Maihar-Senia Gharana of Ustad Allauddin Khan, and is himself a disciple of Bharat Ratna recipient, the late Pandit Ravi Shankar.

Pt. Krishna Bhatt has been critically acclaimed by the New York Times as having music of “extraordinary richness and definition...great melodic beauty,” by the San Francisco Chronicle for having “exceptional craftsmanship and artistry,” by Folk Roots in England as having “the most dreamily romantic music,” and by the Ahmedabad Mirror as having “profound emotional impact.”

For this special, deep listening concert, Pt. Krishna Bhatt will be joined by young tabla prodigy Vivek Pandya. 

About the Artists:
A prolific composer and a cultural ambassador, Pt. Krishna Bhatt has collaborated with Western and Indian musicians, including Zakir Hussain (Essence of a Raga), Ustad Ali Akbar Khan (Garden of Dreams), Kronos String Quartet, and Terry Riley (No Man’s Land film score). Krishna Bhatt has also been the recipient of numerous awards and honors including “Gunijan” (a noble learned citizen) award by the President of India Mrs. Pratibha Patil in 2005. Krishna Bhatt divides his time between India and New York City, both teaching and performing.

Vivek Pandya is a young and much sought after tabla virtuoso. He has made a mark for himself as one of the foremost tabla players in the country while still in his teens, and is known for his versatility as an accompanist as well as a soloist. 

Doors open at 7pm; concert 7:30 - 9:30pm.

Adventurous musicians’ collective Brooklyn Raga Massive returns to Fotografiska to present Colors of Raga, an intimate, deep listening gathering featuring two dynamic duets of Indian classical music.

‍Set I.‍
‍Josh Feinberg, sitar‍
‍Vivek Pandya, tabla‍

‍Set II.‍
‍Rajrupa Chowdhury, sarod‍
‍Nitin Mitta, tabla‍

‍About the Artists

Josh Feinberg (sitar)
‍Over the last 20 years, Josh has established himself as one of the most original and dynamic sitar virtuosos performing in the world today. Raised in the New York City jazz scene in the 90s, and then attending New England Conservatory for his bachelors and Goddard College for his MFA, Josh studied with masters such as Paul Bley, Dave Holland, Kenny Wheeler, Drew Gress, Ben Monder, Dan Weiss and Jackob Sacks before immigrating to Hindustani music and sitar. In 2003, Josh became a protégé of the renowned genius Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and his disciples. He is a 2006 Fulbright scholar to India, and a recipient of several grants including one from the Regional Art and Culture Council in Portland, Oregon. Josh regularly tours the US, Canada, Europe, India, the Middle East and Australia with upcoming tours planned for South America.

Vivek Pandya (tabla)
‍Vivek Pandya has been regarded as a tabla prodigy, having started playing at an early age and training as a tabla disciple by age 5. He proudly carries the legacy of tabla maestros, accompanying renowned young artists and respected musicians all around the globe - in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Bangalore, Solapur, and across the US.  He has currently two albums to his name, one with santoor player Vinay Desai called Chidaksha, as well as an album called “20 for 20”,  alongside NY Philharmonic member, Yale University, and Juilliard graduate, Inbal Segev. To spread the legacy and culture of Indian Classical Music, Vivek has started to teach a few young students, who will be the future of this great art.

Rajrupa Chowdhury (sarod)
‍Rajrupa Chowdhury, born in Kolkata, took up the sarod at the tender age of five, taking Talim (instruction) from Siddhartha Roy Chowdhury. She has also received guidance from Pandit Ajay Sinha Roy and has taken advanced talim from Prof. Sanjoy Bandopadhyay. In 2006, she placed first class first for her Masters in Instrumental Music from the Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata. She is an A Grade artist of All India Radio and an official artist with the lndian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

Nitin Mitta (tabla)
‍Nitin Mitta is a dynamic tabla soloist and a highly sought after accompanist who has performed with some of India’s most celebrated musicians such as Pandit Jasraj, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan,  Ustad Imrat Khan, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Ustad Shahid Parvez, and Ustad Nishat Khan to name a few. Mitta's Gurus' Pt. G.Satyanarayana and Pt. Arvind Mulgaonkar, are disciples of Ustad Amir Hussain Khan, the Legendary doyen of the Farukhabad Gharana. Nitin has also made a mark as a versatile collaborator in other spheres when he  joined forces with Grammy Nominated pianist Vijay Iyer and electric guitarist R. Prasanna to produce a studio album titled Tirtha. Another collaboration with R. Prasanna can be heard on the soundtrack of the Oscar-winning documentary Smile Pinki. He has also performed and toured extensively with two time Juno (Canadian Grammy) award winning singer Kiran Ahluwalia. He has performed at several prominent venues including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Indian consulate in New York, and the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.

In our inaugural performance of our new Colors of Raga series of Indian classical music concerts, Samarth Nagarkar explores the many dimensions of Khayal, a style of contemporary North Indian classical vocal music. We invite you to join us in the oasis that is Gaia NoMaya for a concert showcasing a variety of ragas encompassing various stylistic lineages followed by an opportunity for questions and conversation with the artists. Doors open at 7pm; concert 7:30 - 9:30pm.‍

‍Featured artists:‍

‍Samarth Nagarkar (Vocals)
‍Hindustani classical vocalist, educator and author, Samarth Nagarkar, features at global festivals and venues such as The Lincoln Center (New York), LearnQuest Conference (Boston), and the Chicago World Music Festival. He has several solo and collaborative albums to his credit and has authored the much lauded book, ‘Raga Sangeet’. Trained under distinguished gurus, Ulhas Kashalkar and Dinkar Kaikini, and a former scholar of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata, Samarth’s music represents the Gwalior, Agra and Jaipur gharana traditions. Samarth currently runs Raga Sangeet Creative and is among the first to scale digital platforms like Patreon in the Indian classical music world, pioneering new avenues for audience engagement, education and monetization. He frequently lectures at universities like NYU and MSM and works relentlessly to make this genre accessible to listeners, through masterclasses and innovative presentations.

‍Vivek Pandya (Tabla)
Vivek Pandya is a young and much sought after tabla virtuoso. He has made a mark for himself as one of the foremost tabla players in the country while still in his teens, and is known for his versatility as an accompanist as well as a soloist.

‍Keval Kavle (Harmonium)
‍Keval Kavle is a disciple of the eminent harmonium exponent and guru Vishwanath Kanhere. He has performed alongside several leading vocalists and is equally well-known for his solo work.