Music In The Museum: September

Playing the sitar is Pete Yelding, who is a cellist, sitarist and vocalist and comes from a family of  travelling performers. He has a rooting in numerous musical traditions where improvisation is a key element. These include South Asian Raga-based traditions, West African Griot traditions, European folk traditions and contemporary Western Pop & “art” traditions. However he has dedicated most of his adult life to playing raga-based music and using ragas as a framework for creative projects and interdisciplinary collaborations.Over his professional career Pete has collaborated with artists such as Zinzi Minott, Mammal Hands, Iqbal Khan, Talvin Singh, Sura Susso, Jonathan Mayer, Shagufta Iqbal, & Amadou Diagne; and organisations such as the Royal Shakespeare Company, Bristol Old Vic, SAMA Arts, Cape Farewell & Birmingham REP. 

Performing beautifully on the violin is Aparna Raguraman, who was initiated into the art of violin playing at a very young age. Aparna was awarded the Milapfest National youth Fellowship for the years 2020 and 2021. Aparna had her violin Arangetram in the year 2022. Aparna was featured as a special artiste in the group conducted by Ms. Anoushka Shankar and performed at The Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank Centre, London the same year. She has toured Italy for a series of Concerts organized by the Isha Foundation.

Accompanying on the tabla is Janan Sathiendran, a dedicated musician based in the UK. His journey into classical music began at age 6. Over the years, Janan has built on his classical foundation to become a versatile player, with influences from Carnatic, Qawwali and contemporary music all shaping his unique musical voice. He has performed across the globe, from the Royal Albert & Festival Halls in London to venues in the US and UAE. His recent collaboration with the Orchestral Qawwali Project has garnered significant praise, including a headline performance at WOMAD 2023 that was highlighted in a review by the Financial Times.