Description
Saturday, May 23 • 10-12 AM • BKCM Concert Hall
This workshop series hosted by the BKCM Jazz Program explores the rich past, present and future of Indian classical music. Our fourth event features a special workshop and recital with Pandit Nishikant Barodekar (tabla) and Vinay Desai (santoor).
About the Ragas & Rhythms Series
From Bollywood to Hollywood — where the tabla maestro, Ustad Zakir Hussain, took home three Grammys last year alone — the ancient forms, rhythms and patterns at the root of Indian classical music continue to find vibrant new expressions all over the world, including here in New York, where artists like Quadrature, Brooklyn Raga Massive, Nexus, and ARAJ are fusing traditional forms with contemporary genres to create innovative musical horizons all their own.
Whether you are a longtime lover of Indian classical music seeking a new community to share it with, a student looking to deepen your musical palette, or someone curious to dive into India’s rich musical history and forms for the first time, we invite you to join us for a series of musical workshops led by some of NYC’s most innovative masters of the craft.
Workshop #4: Tabla & Santoor Recital and Workshop with Pandit Nishikant Barodekar and Vinay Desai
The Ragas & Rhythms series continues on Saturday, May 23 at 10:00 am with a workshop and recital featuring Pandit Nishikant Barodekar (tabla) and Vinay Desai (santoor).
Pandit Nishikant Barodekar is emerging as a front-ranking musician in the Indian music scene today. Music has been his natural inheritance as he imbibed it from his grandmother, legendary vocalist Smt. Hirabai Barodekar. During his early training under Ust. Ghulam Rasool Khan in the Delhi, Ajrada & Farukkhabad styles, he was a recipient of the Indian National Scholarship for the years. Later, he was most fortunate to receive advance ‘Taalim’ from the world-famous tabla maestros Ustad Allarakha & Ustad Zakir Hussain.
The remarkable depth of his tabla performances, whether solo or accompanied by instrumentalists, vocalists, dancers, carnatic artists, or musicians from other stylistic traditions, speaks to the discipline and dedication with which he has pursued music. He has performed in the US, Canada, Japan, England, Germany, France, Russia, Hungary, Holland, Italy, Turkey, Spain, Malaysia, Thailand, Middle Eastern and many European countries, and has recorded for Hollywood films like Miss Beaty’s Children and 39 Steps to Heaven as well as major Bollywood films like Devdas and Saaz. Teaching music is also his forte, and he has been a Visiting Professor at universities in the US, Europe and Japan.
Vinay Desai is a disciple of the renowned santoor maestro Padma Vibhushan Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. After completing studies in pre-pharmaceutical science and pre-law in Delaware, he pursued advanced training in India, first under senior disciples and later directly with Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. Vinay has performed widely across the United States, Canada, Argentina, Australia, The Bahamas, and India, appearing at major festivals and venues including the Adelaide Fringe Festival, Mona Foma in Tasmania, Lollapalooza Argentina, the Jaipur Literature Festival, and SwarZankar in Pune.
While grounded in Indian classical music, his work spans multiple genres, including Bollywood, theatre, jazz, and Western classical music. He is known for his meditative and dynamic phrasing, as well as his deep commitment to the stylistic legacy of his guru. Vinay has collaborated with leading artists such as Ustad Tari Khan, Pandit Anindo Chatterjee, and Ustad Sukhvinder Singh Pinky. He continues to share this tradition through performance, teaching, and lecture demonstrations.
Pay-As-You-Wish Tickets
This series is hosted by the BKCM Jazz Program. Tickets are pay-what-you-wish, with a suggested donation of $10. All proceeds go to support paying our artists and funding future concerts and workshops in this performance series.