Hindustani Classical Concert by Rahul Sharma (Santoor) with Aditya Kalyanpur (Tabla) A Shadaj Baithak event supported by Mass Cultural Council and Lexington Community Education; in association with ISW When: Saturday September 16th 2023, 6-9 pm Venue: Scottish Rite Masonic Museum, 33 Marrett Rd, Lexington, MA 02421 Tickets: $50/$30 FREE for Shadaj members - Become a Shadaj member! FREE for Students - Contact tickets@shadaj.org to secure your seat (Limited seating available) Notes: Please allow sufficient time to park, register and to be seated 15 mins before the start time. We will follow the regulations of the MA state government wrt covid-19 mask and vaccination requirements.   Information: tickets@shadaj.org  Ketki Purandare Limaye: 716-907-2084 Milind Ranade: 409-201-7110   Rahul Sharma Rahul Sharma, though born as the son of illustrious santoor master Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, did not begin learning the instrument until he was 13. Instead, he started on harmonium, only switching to the hundred-stringed box when he had mastered Hindustani music’s melodic fundamentals. He imbibed his father’s style and has since built on it, taking the santoor to new corners of the world. After studying economics in Mumbai he decided to pursue a life of full-time music, practicing harder and deepening his emotional bond with the ragas. At age 24 he started accompanying his father at concerts, and has since toured the world with him many times. And like the great Pandit, he has become renowned for breathtaking duets with tabla master Ustad Zakir Hussain. He has released over 60 albums, with a roughly even split between classical and experimental recordings. Rahul has taken the santoor into several distinctly modern settings, working with pianist Richard Clayderman, psy-chillout pioneers Deep Forest, and smooth jazz artist Kenny G. He has also taken the instrument back to its roots, recording with traditional Kashmiri musicians and exploring Sufi devotional music, and even turned up on Indian TV playing flamenco-tinged music in an extravagant Taj Mahal Tea advert (‘waah Taj!’) Outside of music he is an advocate for animal rights, and finds peace from his hectic schedule by hiking around Maharashtra.   Aditya Kalyanpur With Aditya Kalyanpur’s trademark blend of technical brilliance, creative improvisations and high-octane showmanship, this award-winning tabla virtuoso’s performances instantly connect with, and captivate audiences worldwide. Kalyanpur is noted to be coined as the original pioneer of recreating the colorful tabla, thus innovating, “a more colorful expression.” At the same time, Kalyanpur’s performances reflect his versatility and keenness to break through conventional ‘borders.’ Kalyanpur has uniquely gone on to acquire in-depth knowledge across various gharanas and schools of playing. Furthermore, he is in his element when adapting masterfully to any musical context, be it complementing a sitar or jazz guitar, and/or collaborating with artistes across genres, from jazz to pop, rap to rock! For the child prodigy who could replicate intricate rhythmic patterns on his first tabla at the age of 3, there was no going back. Kalyanpur’s training began from none other than the legendary late Ustad Allah Rakha and later his son Ustad Zakir Hussain.

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