The Ravi Shankar Ensemble celebrates legendary sitarist and maestro Ravi Shankar and features 6 musicians hand-picked by Anoushka & Sukanya Shankar who also curate the concert program.
The 12-city debut tour will span the United States in 2026, including esteemed performing arts centers such as Chicago Symphony Presents, The Town Hall (NYC), McCarter Theater Center (Princeton, NJ), The Music Center at Strathmore (Bethesda, MD), Eisemann Center (Richardson, TX), Moore Theatre (Seattle, WA), La Jolla Music Society (CA) and SF Jazz.
NEW YORK, NY, July 16th, 2025
Schirmer Theatrical (part of Wise Music Group) is proud to announce a new concert production which will introduce The Ravi Shankar Ensemble. This multi-generation collective of world-class musicians – hand-picked by Anoushka and Sukanya Shankar – was formed in dedication to the masterful compositions and enduring legacy of the creative luminary, sitarist Ravi Shankar whose innovative artistry brought Indian classical music to the world.
For the ensemble’s debut tour, Shankar’s wife, Sukanya, and daughter, musician Anoushka Shankar, have curated a thoughtful collection of Ravi Shankar’s repertoire for the six-piece ensemble. The program will focus on the maestro’s notable devotion to both tradition and creativity while building understanding and love of Indian classical music with audiences worldwide. The concert weaves together elegantly designed visuals, featuring rare audio and video materials from the Ravi Shankar archives alongside a dynamic selection of Shankar’s soul-stirring music.
The Ravi Shankar Ensemble includes: Shubhendra Rao (Sitar), Anubrata Chatterjee (Tabla), B C Manjunath (Mridangam), Ravichandra Kulur (Flute), Padma Shankar (Violin, Vocals), and Aayush Mohan (Sarod).
The debut tour reaches 12 cities over 3 ½ weeks, with performances at highly esteemed performing arts centers across the United States. These include:
· March 18, 2026: Princeton, NJ – McCarter Theatre Center
· March 19, 2026: Bethesda, MD – The Music Center at Strathmore
· March 20, 2026: New York, NY – The Town Hall
· March 22, 2026: Chicago, IL – Chicago Symphony Center
· March 24, 2026: Richardson, TX – Eisemann Center
· March 27, 2026: Mesa, AZ – Mesa Arts Center
· March 29, 2026: La Jolla, CA – The Baker-Baum Concert Hall
· March 31, 2026: Los Angeles, CA – The Alex Theatre
· April 2, 2026: San Luis Obispo, CA – Harold Miossi Hall
· April 3, 2026: Livermore, CA – Bankhead Theater at Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center
· April 4, 2026: San Francisco, CA – SF Jazz at Herbst Theatre
· April 6, 2026: Seattle, WA – Moore Theatre
Sukanya Shankar says, “Ravi Shankar – the Indian Sun – continues to shine on. Raviji’s influence extends beyond music, encompassing cultural exchange, spiritual exploration, and his role as a global ambassador for India. I am so happy and deeply touched that through this tour of the Ravi Shankar Ensemble with young virtuosic musicians, his legacy continues to inspire and influence generations to come.
Anoushka Shankar says, “Curating this concert program alongside my mother has been a profound way to reconnect with my father’s music – not just as his daughter, but as his student and a fellow musician perpetually learning from his vast body of work. Although it’s virtually impossible, I wanted to showcase the breadth of what made him the incomparable musician he was: beyond a performer and sitar player but also a composer, innovator and pioneer. The pieces we’ve chosen carry so many shades: complexity and lightness, discipline and abandon. I’m so excited to share this living, breathing celebration of his artistry with new audiences, brought to life by truly incredible musicians who understand the depth of what it means to play his music.”
“The Ravi Shankar Ensemble represents a deeply meaningful collaboration of musical legacy and living tradition,” adds Betsey Perlmutter, Vice President & Creative Director of Schirmer Theatrical. “It is an absolute honor to work alongside Sukanya and Anoushka on this project which not only honors Ravi Shankar’s profound impact on the musical and cultural landscape but also provides audiences with a multi-generational bridge to his music.”
The Ravi Shankar Ensemble project is produced by Schirmer Theatrical (part of Wise Music Group). Concert bookings by outer/most agency.
ABOUT RAVI SHANKAR
In a career that spanned decades and continents, Maestro Ravi Shankar had an indelible imprint on global music history and culture. A virtuosic Indian musician and composer known for his mastery of the sitar, Shankar was a leading cultural figure of the 20th century and a major figure in the Hindustani music tradition, reshaping the centuries-old form into what is now as recognized as today and introducing Western audiences to the classical tradition of Indian Ragas. He popularized Indian classical music globally through his teaching, performances, and collaborations with Western musicians like Yehudi Menuhin, Philip Glass and George Harrison. His compositions for sitar and orchestra bridged the gap between Eastern and Western music. Shankar received the Bharat Ratna (India’s highest civilian honor), France’s Legion D’Honneur, a Knighthood from Queen Elizabeth, Sweden’s Polar Music Prize, Japan’s Praemium Imperiale, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, eighteen honorary doctorates and five Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award.
ABOUT SCHIRMER THEATRICAL
Schirmer Theatrical, LLC (part of the Wise Music Group) is a creative producer of fully licensed film with live orchestra concerts, high-end immersive symphonic experiences and theatrical concert productions, producing over 150 concerts around the globe each year.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS OF THE RAVI SHANKAR ENSEMBLE:
Pandit Shubhendra Rao (Sitar) is an internationally acclaimed performer, composer, cultural entrepreneur and music educator. A protégé of Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar, Shubhendra Rao’s relentless service in promoting Indian music has made him a highly respected figure in the field of music and education across the world. As a composer, he pushes the boundaries of classical music across cultures, composing and collaborating with Chinese Pipa maestro Gao Hong, American Jazz Guitarist Freddie Bryant, Japanese legendary singer Ryoko Moriyama, Bilbao Symphony Orchestra, Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, and the Chinese National Orchestra, amongst others. He is also the Founding Director of Musikul Education Pvt Ltd and co-founder of the Shubhendra and Saskia Rao Foundation, together with his wife, Dutch Cellist Saskia Rao-de Haas, transforming the way music is taught in schools in India. Together, they created Sangeet4All, India’s first early childhood music education curriculum, reaching over 80,000 children to date. As the Indian delegate of the Creative Youth Development Conference hosted by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, he collaborates with an international team of experts on creating effective international policies on Child & Youth Arts Education. Shubhendra Rao is the first recipient of the Atal Behari Vajpayee National Award for his contribution to Art and Culture and the 2019 recipient of the prestigious Art Karat Award for Excellence for his contribution in the field of Arts.
Anubrata Chatterjee (Tabla) is one of the leading tabla artists of his generation. He is the son and disciple of the world-renowned tabla maestro, Pandit Anindo Chatterjee. Anubrata’s creative approach toward his music includes the traditional Farrukhabad Gharana and Lucknow styles of tabla as well as a modern touch in the presentation of his art with concepts like Beats & Pieces, The T20 of Classical Music. From Carnegie Hall to the Barbican in London from Wigmore Hall in London, to the Esplanade Theatre in Singapore, Anubrata has performed at many prestigious venues and music festivals and he has shared the stage with well-known artists globally, including Japanese Koto star, Yumi Kurosawa, Wynton Marsalis, Amjad Ali Khan, Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Birju Maharaj, Ranjit Barot and Shankar Mahadeyan. Anubrata has won several awards and accolades, among the most significant, the President’s Gold Medal (2001), awarded by All India Radio; Pandit Nikhil Ghosh Memorial Award (2002); Pandit Basavaraj Rajguru Memorial National Award by Karnataka Government (2014), and Sangeet Natak Akademi Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar (2016).
B C Manjunath (Mridangam) is a dynamic artist who revealed an innate musical talent and interest in percussion from a young age, encouraged by his father, legendary mridangam player, Vidwan B K Chandramouli. Later he enlarged this musical perspective by training in Mridanga under Karnataka Kalashree K N Krishna Murthy and Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sri T.K.Murthy. Manjunath’s creative impulses have flowered in various forms, from classical to fusion and in solo and ensemble performances, accompanying many great artists from India and abroad, including Sangeetha Kalaratna, Sri R R Keshavamurthy, Sangeetha Kalaratna Sri H P Ramachar, Mysore M Nagaraj and Dr. Mysore M Manjunath (aka Mysore Brothers), Dr. Suma Sudhindra and Chitraveena N Ravikiran. He has also shared the stage with international legends like Turkish Sufi singer Kani Karaca and trombonist Robin Eubanks. He has worked with composers Rafael Reina, Riccardo Nova, members of Bhedam and with Conservatorium of Amsterdam, The Karnatic Lab Festival, Zagreb Music Biennale, Fabrica Italy, Santander Percussion Festival (Spain), Perth International Festival, Roma Europe Festival, Milano Musica/John Cage Festival, Ictus Ensemble (Belgium), Quintetto Bibiena (Italy) and Het Nederlands Fluit Orkest. He has designed extensive online courses on Konnakol and Mridangam for rhythm enthusiasts on platforms like Livdemy and Shaale.
Ravichandra Kulur (Flute) is an internationally acclaimed flute virtuoso. He began his training under his father Sri K. Raghavendra Rao and was later hailed as flute maestro by legend Pandit Ravi Shankar who invited to join him for the 2005-2006 concerts titled “Festival of India III.” He has performed over 1,200 concerts in 34 countries, gracing stages like Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Royal Festival Hall and Sydney Opera House, not to mention festivals including WOMAD, Roskilde, SF, Helsinki Festival, Bangalore Habba and many more. Ravi’s music blends Carnatic classical, world music and fusion jazz. In addition to Ravi Shankar, he has collaborated with Anoushka Shankar and AR Rahman.
Padma Shankar (Violin, Vocals) is an acclaimed performer, composer and educator, known for her evocative artistry and deep-rooted training in the South Indian classical tradition. A senior disciple of the legendary violin maestro Shri Lalgudi Jayaraman, Padma carries forward his legacy with a nuanced blend of melody, rhythm, and emotional depth. With over three decades of professional experience, Padma has performed extensively across India and internationally, both as a soloist and in major collaborative projects. Her work bridges classical, contemporary and global genres, making her a sought-after voice in both experimental and cross-cultural music settings. Padma has been honored with the prestigious Kalaimamani Award — the highest state recognition for excellence in the arts in Tamil Nadu — along with numerous other accolades for her contributions to Indian classical music. A dedicated educator, Padma has guided a significant number of students worldwide and recently launched Swaraved, a platform offering self-paced violin and vocal courses designed to empower independent learning.
Aayush Mohan (Sarod) is one of the most acclaimed Sarod players on the global stage. Known for his distinguished musicality and mastery of the Indian tradition, Aayush is a proud grand-disciple of Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar. His training belongs to the revered Senia-Maihar Gharana, having learnt from Balwant Rai Verma, Sharan Rani and Tejendra Majumdar. Apart from his sarod recitals, he often performs alongside his brother, sitarist Lakshay Mohan, the duo being known as the Mohan Brothers. Together, they performed at the prestigious Grammy Museum in Los Angeles at the opening of the exhibition, “Ravi Shankar: A Life in Music.” The duo received a historic endorsement when the Pandit Ravi Shankar upon hearing them in 2012, launched them on their debut U.S. tour under his foundation. Aayush has performed at some of the most respected venues across the world, including Symphony Space in New York City, Berklee College of Music, Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, the India Fine Arts Academy in San Diego, and Gasteig in Munich. A five-time TEDx speaker, Aayush has also presented lecture-demonstrations at esteemed institutions such as Wien State University in Detroit and University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
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