The fifth edition of the festival presents eight artistes in four vocal–instrumental pairings, performing from 7:30 am to evening Mumbai, 5 October 2026: A grandson of sarangi maestro Ram Narayan, a sitarist who began in the Carnatic tradition, a vocalist who first reached a wider audience through the Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Marathi contest, …
The fifth edition of the festival presents eight artistes in four vocal–instrumental pairings, performing from 7:30 am to evening
Mumbai, 5 October 2026: A grandson of sarangi maestro Ram Narayan, a sitarist who began in the Carnatic tradition, a vocalist who first reached a wider audience through the Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Marathi contest, and a Patiala gharana singer who researches computational musicology will share one day and one musical setting at the fifth edition of Raagdari GENNXT – परंपरा की नयी सोच. The festival will be held on Sunday, 11 October 2026, at Prithvi Theatre, Juhu, Mumbai.
Presented by GRACE Foundation, curated by Shashi Vyas and managed by Pancham Nishad, the festival brings together eight musicians in four vocal–instrumental pairings, with sessions at 7:30 am, 11:15 am, 3:30 pm and 7:15 pm.
The theatre’s intimate acoustic design allows the performances to be presented without microphones or electronic amplification, creating a wholly acoustic listening experience in the spirit of an intimate Baithak.
At the heart of this year’s edition is a simple idea: every musician arrives at a Raag through a different musical journey. Family lineage, guru, gharana, another classical tradition, institutional training, popular exposure and even contemporary fields such as computing can shape the way an artiste approaches and interprets the music.
Shashi Vyas, Curator of Raagdari GENNXT and Director of Pancham Nishad, says: “Every musician arrives at a Raag with a different musical history. It could be a family tradition, a particular gharana, another classical system, a guru, an institution or an entirely different professional experience. That history inevitably becomes part of the way the musician interprets music. This year’s Raagdari brings together these different journeys and lets the audience hear how they find expression through the same classical tradition.”
Eight Different Routes into Hindustani Classical Music
Sitarist Ankush Nayak began with Carnatic music before moving to Hindustani music and the sitar. He has trained with Pt. Buddhadev Das Gupta and continues to engage with Carnatic rhythm alongside his Hindustani practice.
Sarangi player Harsh Narayan is the grandson of sarangi maestro Ram Narayan and son of sarod player Brij Narayan. He has built a career of his own and is a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi’s Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar.
Vocalist Hiranmayee S. has trained in the Kirana, Jaipur-Atrauli and Agra traditions.
Dr. Kaustuv Kanti Ganguli, a Patiala gharana vocalist, works in musicology, computing and computational music research alongside his performing career.
Vocalist Prathamesh Laghate first reached a wider audience through the Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Marathi contest and has since pursued classical music seriously. His work also includes Natya Sangeet and Abhang.
Sarod player Pratik Shrivastava, of the Maihar tradition, performs in India and internationally. Vocalist Somdatta Chatterjee has trained in the Bishnupur and Agra traditions. Flautist Samyak Parashari brings the expressive qualities of vocal music to his playing.
Together, these eight artistes represent distinctly different routes into Hindustani classical music, while their performances remain rooted in the central grammar and improvisational possibilities of the Raag.
Raagdari GENNXT – Fifth Edition
Date: Sunday, 11 October 2026
Venue: Prithvi Theatre,20 Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road, Juhu, Mumbai 400049
Presented by: GRACE Foundation
Curated by: Shashi Vyas
Managed by: Pancham Nishad
Tickets: Available on BookMyShow
Queries: 7045597505 (WhatsApp only)
7:30 am: Samyak Parashari (Flute) and Hiranmayee S. (Vocal)
11:15 am: Ankush Nayak (Sitar) and Prathamesh Laghate (Vocal)
3:30 pm: Harsh Narayan (Sarangi) and Somdatta Chatterjee (Vocal)
7:15 pm: Pratik Shrivastava (Sarod) and Dr. Kaustuv Kanti Ganguli (Vocal)
About Raagdari GENNXT
Raagdari GENNXT is a day-long presentation of Hindustani classical music at Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai, bringing together artistes from different musical backgrounds and traditions. The festival is organised by GRACE Foundation and managed by Pancham Nishad.
About GRACE Foundation
GRACE Foundation (Gunijaan Research, Art, Culture & Education) is a Mumbai-based cultural organisation dedicated to the promotion and preservation of India’s artistic heritage through curated performances, research and educational programming. The Foundation works towards making India’s classical arts accessible to wider audiences while supporting their continued practice and understanding.
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