Niladri Kumaar, sitar
Niladri Kumaar brings his sitar-led *Space Between the Notes* program to Sixth & I. The performance pays tribute to the late tabla maestro Zakir Hussain through curated selections from the only recorded live performance they made together, while also presenting Kumaar’s own expansive approach to Indian classical music. The concert combines centuries-old tradition with improvisation, jazz-influenced arrangements, and an ensemble of Indian and American musicians playing sitar, zitar, keys, drums, and tabla.
Kumaar is a celebrated Indian classical musician, composer, and ambassador for Indian music whose collaborations with Hussain formed one of the best-known sitar-tabla partnerships. The tour draws from their Mumbai concert recording and continues Kumaar’s effort to broaden the reach of Indian music while honoring the musical relationship at its center.
When: Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Venue: Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
Program: “The Space Between the Notes,” featuring curated portions of Kumaar and Zakir Hussain’s live recording alongside new tour arrangements.
Lineup: Niladri Kumaar, sitar and zitar; Agnelo Fernandes, keyboards; Sambit Chatterjee, drums; and Satyajit Talwalkar, tabla.
Niladri Kumaar: Kumaar is described as a maverick musician, composer, and Indian music icon who combines a deep grounding in Indian classical music with creative innovation. He frequently collaborated with Zakir Hussain, and their sitar-tabla performances became a prominent musical partnership. Kumaar’s *Space Between the Notes* tour features his distinctive melodies, sitar and zitar playing, and selections from the duo’s recorded live performance.
Agnelo Fernandes: Fernandes began with violin, studied trumpet and French horn, and later turned to piano and keyboards after being influenced by his jazz-pianist brother-in-law. His work includes pop performance, electronic music programming, and synthesis. He has collaborated with artists including Raju Singh, Shiamak Davar, Aadesh Srivastava, Pritam, Salim-Sulaiman, Rabbi Shergill, Shibani Kashyap, and Bombay Vikings.
Sambit Chatterjee: Chatterjee has played drums for 15 years and also studied tabla with his father, GRAMMY-nominated tabla musician Pandit Subhen Chatterjee. His work spans rock, fusion, jazz, Indian classical, and popular music. He has performed with artists including Niladri Kumaar, Mohini Dey, DIVINE, Rhythm Shaw, Tajdar Junaid, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, and Ustad Taufiq Qureshi, and has toured with Nikhita Gandhi. He has shared stages or festival bills with major international acts including Deep Purple, Steve Vai, Katy Perry, Dua Lipa, Post Malone, the Goo Goo Dolls, and Kings of Leon. Chatterjee is also the festival director and curator of the Kolkata International Drum Festival.
Satyajit Talwalkar: Talwalkar is a tabla player from a distinguished musical family and the son and disciple of tabla guru Pandit Suresh Talwalkar and vocalist Padma Talwalkar. He began studying tabla at age four and performed publicly at nine. He has accompanied artists including Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, and Pandit Jasraj, and regularly performs with musicians such as Rakesh Chaurasia, Amaan Ali Khan, Ayaan Ali Khan, Purbayan Chatterjee, and Rahul Sharma. His interests include fusion and world music, and he has worked with percussionists Trilok Gurtu and Shiva Mani as well as pianist Louis Banks. He is a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi’s Bharatratna Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar and the Aditya Birla Kala Kiran Puraskar.
Tickets: Price not available