On Friday, March 20, The Town Hall hosted the New York debut of the Ravi Shankar Ensemble, an evening that combined both live performance and archival visuals to celebrate the legacy of Ravi Shankar.
Through collaborations with George Harrison and appearances at defining cultural moments such as the 1969 Woodstock Festival and the Monterey Pop Festival, Shankar played a pivotal role in shaping Western engagement with Indian classical music.
Curated by Shankar’s widow, Sukanya Shankar, and his daughter, Anoushka Shankar, the ensemble brings together a multi-generational group of musicians dedicated to preserving and performing the maestro’s work. The ensemble features Shubhendra Rao, Ravichandra Kulur, Padma Shankar, Aayush Mohan, Anubrata Chatterjee, and B. C. Manjunath, many of whom trained directly under Shankar himself.
Friday’s performance was a true homage to Shankar, who first performed at The Town Hall in late 1956. Each member of the ensemble balanced their virtuosity with a clear respect for Shankar’s compositions, approaching the music as a living, evolving tradition. Interspersed between the live performances were archival photographs and footage narrated by Shankar’s own voice. The narrations offered intimate reflections on Shankar’s creative process, collaborations, and philosophy. The combination of both performance and visuals deepened the audience’s connection to the material, making the evening not just a concert but a tribute to a musical legacy.
The ensemble’s tour of the U.S continues through March, ending on April 6 at the Moore Theater in Seattle, WA. For more information visit theravishankarensemble.com.
→ Continue reading at NYS Music
