Open your ears to new sounds at an upcoming series of traditional Indian music performances at Matagiri Sri Aurobindo Center, the self-proclaimed “Center for the Evolution of Consciousness.” The serene woods of Mt. Tremper are the perfect environment in this pursuit.
Classical Indian music is known for its exotic (to Westerners) stringed instruments and percussion, microtonal scales, drones, and dynamics ranging from trance-inducing and meditative to excitingly energetic.
On Sun., Sep. 3 from 4-6pm, Vinay Desai will perform on the santoor, an trapezoidal dulcimer that requires great finesse. His lifetime of studying the instrument deposited him in Walden, NY – the uninitiated would be surprised to learn just how much of a hotspot for traditional Indian music the Hudson Valley is. Vinay will be accompanied by tabla virtuoso Unmesh Banerjee. Tickets are $20-$30.
Wed, Sep. 13, Ritesh and Rajnish Mishra present “A Family’s Journey in Music” at 7pm. This will be less a concert and more “an informal educational exchange with time for questions”. The family in question grew up surrounded by masters of North Indian classical music, and have performed all over the world, from Albert Hall in London to Lincoln Center in New York. Tickets are $15-$50.
Then on Sun., Oct. 4 at noon, santoor maestro Tarun Bhattacharya will lead an all-star cast of friends and performers in a self-contained world music festival lasting until 4pm.
Visit matagiri.org for tickets and more information.
Join the family! 
