Acclaimed santoor player Rahul Sharma and tabla virtuoso Amit Kavthekar come together for an evening of Indian classical and fusion music, blending the rich traditions of Indian music with contemporary influences.

Rahul Sharma santoor
Amit Kavthekar tabla

Presented by Robert Browning Associates and Lotus Music & Dance in partnership with Roulette.

Rahul Sharma, regarded as the leading santoor (hammered dulcimer) player of his generation, has carved a niche for himself in the world of Indian classical and fusion music with over 75 released albums in a career of more than 25 years. He has become a worthy successor to his father and guru Shivkumar Sharma, who was responsible for developing the santoor from a little-known Kashmiri folk instrument into a solo instrument in the classical North Indian repertoire. Rahul has created a new direction for the ancient santoor, introducing it into the world of electronica, fusion, jazz and symphony. He has performed at major festivals and venues, including WOMAD, the Edinburgh Festival, and the Royal Festival Hall (London), and collaborated with Zakir Hussain, Peter Gabriel and Richard Clayderman, among others. In recent years, he created such acclaimed projects as the Symphony of Santoor, and received the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

Amit Kavthekar is one of the top-ranking tabla (drums) players of his generation. He studied with Alla Rakha and Zakir Hussain, and has played with many maestros of Indian classical music, including Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Jasraj, Shahid Parvez, and Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. He frequently collaborates with leading musicians in Western classical music, jazz and fusion music, and has toured with guitarist Al Di Meola.