BELLOWS FALLS — Abhisek Lahiri, a celebrated virtuoso of the 25-stringed Indian lute, known as the Sarod, will give a special performance at Stone Church Arts in Bellows Falls on Sept. 7 to kick off his 2019 U.S. Tour.
Lahiri will be accompanied on Tabla by Subrata Bhattacharya, also a master musician who has played with many of the giants of Indian classical music. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. and is open to all ages. Tickets are $25 for premium seating and $20 for standard seating (a $5 senior discount is available in both ticket categories).
Lahiri hails from Howrah, West Bengal, in India, and started performing at age 11. He got his first break at the national level in 1997, when he was invited by Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia to play at Saath Saath Festival.
That same year he also gave his debut performance abroad, in Holland, at the “World Kinder Festival” where he was named a “Wonder Kid.”
Lahiri and his father, Pandit Alok Lahiri. have performed at the European Parliament in France, at the Cannes World Music Festival, and in Canada Culture Days in Toronto. Abhisek has received the President's Award in music from the president of India and regularly represents India abroad as a part of the International Council for Cultural Relations.
Sept. 7 will be Abhisek's first performance in Vermont, though he has toured in the U.S. many times. He has come at the invitation of local musician Joel “Veena” Eisenkramer, who is a student of Abhisek's father.
According to a news release, “listeners can expect a dazzling performance from two of India's finest musicians: from the beautifully intricate melodies of the introductory 'alap' section to the excitement of blistering Tabla solos and speed of the finale.”