NCPA Citi Nad Ninad: Celebrating the Life and Music of the Legendary Santoor Maestro Shivkumar Sharma Through Rare Archival Recordings

Experimental Theatre | June 6, 2026 | 6:30 pm
An NCPA Presentation
Supported by Citi

The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) presents a special listening session celebrating the artistry and legacy of legendary santoor maestro Shivkumar Sharma, guided by his senior disciples and practising instrumentalists, Dilip Kale and Takahiro Arai. The santoor is a stringed instrument from the folk tradition of Kashmir, and Sharma’s name remains inseparable from its evolution in Indian classical music. His pioneering efforts gave the instrument, made up of over ninety strings, its distinctive voice, helping it acquire a place alongside other major stringed instruments in Indian classical music. As part of the NCPA Citi Nad Ninad: From Our Archives series, this session will feature selected audio and video excerpts from Sharma’s recordings specially recorded at the NCPA between 1971 and 2019, accompanied by commentary and reflections by the two artistes.

A senior disciple of the maestro, Dilip Kale, has been performing Indian classical and light classical music for over three decades at prestigious music festivals across India and internationally, including the Sankatmochan Music Festival, Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Samaroha, Pune Festival and Gunidas Sangeet Sammelan. He has also had the privilege of co-performing with his guru at several renowned festivals and has presented specially curated live talk shows exploring Sharma’s life, music and artistic journey. Beyond the classical stage, Kale has contributed to film, television and theatre through performances and recordings, while also conducting lecture demonstrations to promote Indian classical music among younger audiences.

Joining him is Takahiro Arai, a Japanese citizen who has spent the last eighteen years in Mumbai learning the santoor under the tutelage of Shivkumar Sharma. Arai began his musical journey as a Western drummer and studied jazz music and theory before discovering the santoor through a recital in Japan by Setsuo Miyashita, a senior disciple of Sharma. Drawn deeply to the instrument, he moved to India in 2007 and was accepted as a disciple by Sharma after demonstrating his dedication to Indian classical music. For nearly fifteen years, Arai accompanied his guru at concerts across India and abroad, becoming one of the few international disciples closely associated with the maestro’s performance journey. His association with the santoor reflects a rare cross-cultural musical exchange rooted in years of rigorous training and devotion to the tradition.

Nad Ninad, launched in 2008, is a signature archival initiative of the NCPA that brings India’s rich classical music heritage to audiences through curated listening sessions led by distinguished musicians and scholars. Supported by Citi, the series draws from the NCPA’s extensive archives—among the most comprehensive in the country—comprising over 5,000 hours of recorded music and 1,200 hours of rare film footage featuring legendary artistes such as Vilayat Khan, Begum Akhtar, M. S. Subbulakshmi, Nikhil Banerjee, Kumar Gandharva and Siddheshwari Devi, among many others.

Join us to experience this archival presentation celebrating the life and music of one of India’s most influential classical musicians.

Age Recommendation: 6+ | Late entry not permitted
Duration: Approximately 90 minutes
Entry free on a first-come, first-served basis.

About NCPA:

The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai, is India’s premier cultural institution. Inaugurated in 1969, it was the first multi-venue, multi-genre cultural centre in South Asia. The NCPA is committed to preserving and promoting India’s rich and vibrant artistic heritage in the fields of music, dance, theatre, film, literature and photography, as well as presenting new and innovative work by Indian and international artistes from a diverse range of genres including drama, contemporary dance, orchestral concerts, opera, jazz and chamber music. Today, the NCPA hosts more than 700 events each year, making it India’s largest and most holistic performing arts centre.