One of India's brightest and most multi-talented music performers Anoushka Shankar is returning to Singapore after 15 years for Kalaa Utsavam 2022. With more than a quarter-century's worth of performing experience behind her, Anoushka is a singular, genre-defying artist who crosses multiple realms—from classical to contemporary, acoustic to electronic.
“It’s been many years since I performed in Singapore but the Esplanade is a truly unique performance venue and I can’t wait to perform there again. I also remember eating the best food of my life in Singapore,” Anoushka told Connected to India.
The masterful sitarist will be joined by her long-term collaborator Manu Delago—a master composer and performer in his own right—as well as Orchestra of the Music Makers, one of Singapore’s leading symphony orchestras. The show will be conducted by Joshua Tan and will be held at the Esplanade Concert Hall on November 19 and 20.
Continuing the legacy of her father, the legendary Ravi Shankar, Anoushka Shankar is considered one of the world’s most renowned sitar players. Her genre-defying music reflects her Indian background as well as her life in London and California.
Anoushka began studying the sitar and Indian classical music from the age of 9 under the intensive tutelage of her father, an era-defining master of the instrument and made her professional debut at 13. She began touring worldwide alongside her father, then embarked on a successful touring career when she was 18.
She released her first album, ‘Anoushka’, in 1998, followed by ‘Anourag’ in 2000. In 1999 Shankar graduated from high school with honours, but decided against university in favour of beginning to tour as a solo artist. Both Shankar and her half-sister Norah Jones were nominated for Grammy’ awards in 2003 when Anoushka became the youngest nominee in the World Music category for her third album, ‘Live at Carnegie Hall’.
Anoushka has been on tours worldwide over the past two decades, at one time playing an average of 50–60 concerts per year. She has also frequently been invited to perform for benefit concerts around the world.
“It is a great joy and privilege to be able to share music live again with audiences and I still treasure every performance. As I’m returning after a gap of some 15 years, I’d like to think and hope I’m a very different musician now than I was before, and I would be honoured to share my music and performance with people in Singapore,” Anoushka added.
Her upcoming show comprises two parts; Ravi Shankar’s Sitar Concerto No 3, of which Anoushka has been the sole performer since she premiered the work alongside Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in 2009; the second half of the concert features music from Anoushka’s recently released live album 'Between Us…'
“This is a unique show as it will be the first time we are pairing two very different programmes into one. In the first half, OMM and I will be performing my father’s beautiful Sitar Concerto No 3, which is a very classical exploration of sitar and orchestra. In the second half we’ll be joined by my dear collaborator Manu Delago to perform several of my own, less purely classical works, arranged by the wonderful Jules Buckley. It should, hopefully, be a dynamic and exciting performance!” Anoushka said.
Tickets for Anoushka's upcoming show are available online.